


Forty-One Days (OLD)

by Ande883



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Depressing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-19 23:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 40,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14248323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ande883/pseuds/Ande883
Summary: Three years after the Night-howler case, Nick and Judy are loving life together. However, one tragic night makes Nick aware of something: He is going to die. Their relationship will be tested like never before, and both will learn to face their fears, no matter what it takes. (VERY OLD!!!)





	1. I Hate Mondays

**Author's Note:**

> This story has been on FFN ever since I started, but I figure it can come over here since I am going to start using AO3 a lot more. So far, seven chapters have been updated, and as I manage to get more done, they will be updated on FFN and posted here. Feel free to try and enjoy!

_ My name is Nicholas Wilde, I am 35 years old, the year is 2019, and I am going to die. _

Nick awoke to the sound of his alarm clock beeping.  _ Mondays... _ he thought to himself. He had always hated Mondays. Nick never had to get up to go to work in his life, at least not until he had met that clever bunny. Judy... his partner, his girlfriend, his everything, really, lying right next to him, only just now being woken up by the sound of the alarm yawned and stretched her arms as she was brought into the reality of being awake. Nick reached over to the nightstand and slammed his fist down on top of the clock to shut the alarm off.

“Have I ever told you how much I’ve come to hate Mondays, Carrots?” Nick said, yawning away the last bits of grogginess in his voice.

“Only every Monday, you dumb fox,” Judy said jokingly.

“Well, it’s true. I have a burning, fiery hatred for Mondays. I mean, I just get light-headed thinking about getting up on Mondays. In fact, I’m slightly light-headed now that I’ve done it.” 

“Oh stop it. You know you only make them worse by complaining about them all the time,” Judy said sarcastically. “I’m sure today will go down in history as the worst Monday ever, just like last Monday?”

“It will, absolutely, one hundred percent,” Nick said.

“Well at least try and make it enjoyable. We’ve got a big day today.”

Judy always said that whenever Nick was less than thrilled to get up in the morning, no matter what they were to do that day as if she was secretly telling him that he still had to try to make the world a better place. Judy opened the door to their apartment and they walked out, Nick following her. They walked down the many steps and then out onto the sidewalk and began the journey to the subway station a couple of blocks away.

“Did you hear that the chief is thinking of retiring?” Judy said.

“Really?” Nick said with quite a bit of surprise in his voice. “I would have thought he’d keep at it for at least five more years.”

“No, he thinks he’s getting too old. But honestly, I think it might be for the best if he does. I wouldn’t want him to work himself too hard.”

Nick couldn’t argue with that. He figured that job was stressful enough to age anyone enough to eventually force them to quit sooner than expected. But if that was the case, Bogo sure didn’t show any signs of wear other than some gray furs, but Nick felt that he had a pretty big part in those.

“It is probably the best for him,” Nick said. “And probably for the rest of us, too. Have you noticed how much he seems to have slowed down? I honestly don’t think he even minds my constant picking on him. That should tell you it’s time to retire more than anything,” Nick joked. Judy agreed, knowing how much Bogo disliked her partner when he first started. But even as much as he appeared to hate him, she figured Bogo still had a bit of a soft spot for Nick.

“Who do you think should take his place?” Judy questioned.

“I don’t know, DelGato maybe. He’s always seemed like a pretty good leader.”

“I could see that. He’s got the characteristics of a police chief,” she said.

 

Nick and Judy made it to the station just in time to board. They took their places in the middle, standing up. The subway began to move, rocking everyone on the subway back a little bit. Nick stood, feeling a bit light-headed still. Was he tired? Sick? He couldn’t quite put his paw on it. He had stayed up later than usual last night, but then again, there had been a cold going around the ZPD for the last few days.  _ That’s probably it…  _ Nick thought.

The thoughts left Nick’s head as the subway made it to their stop. Nick looked up, realizing that he had spaced out for the entire duration of the commute. He shifted his head back and forth, wondering if he was maybe confusing this for another stop, but he wasn’t. The trip that usually took about fifteen minutes felt to him like mere seconds. Nick stepped off the subway with Judy and they walked together the rest of the way to the precinct, greeting a group of officers standing outside as they opened the door to the expansive lobby. Taking in the sights for what felt like the millionth time, their eyes instantly went to Clawhauser, who was currently distracted by the box of donuts sitting half-empty on his desk.

“Morning Ben!” Judy said, “Have a good weekend?”

The big cat leaned over the desk to actually see the two tiny officers, smiling upon meeting their eyes. “Oh, it was pretty typical. I pretty much just sat around, doing nothing like usual. Oh! Did you hear? Chief Bogo was going to announce something today. Have any idea of what it could be about?”

“We both think he’s about to retire. He’d mentioned something about it last week to us, but we weren’t sure how serious he was about it.” Judy said.

“Well, be sure to let me know what he says!” Clawhauser exclaimed. “Have a good rest of the day!”

“You too!” Nick and Judy said at the same time. Giving Ben a wave, they started off towards the bullpen. Walking into the room, Nick and Judy instantly felt much smaller than they were. It was a feeling that had plagued them both ever since they started, but never seemed to go away, but they figured getting used to a massive size difference wasn’t really possible. Even so, it never really bothered them. Nick and Judy both took their seats at the front of the room as usual as they waited for the chief to do roll call. As they became situated in their seats, Chief Bogo walked into the room.

“Alright, everyone shut it!” Bogo yelled as he got up to the podium, the veins in his neck seeming to bulge out even more than they normally did. The first time Nick had verbally pointed that out, he received a pretty good yelling at later that day. 

“We’ve got a few items on the docket today. First off, I want to put the rumors to rest. I am not going to be retiring… before the end of the year. At least that is the plan. But it is likely that after the first of the year, I will be seriously looking for someone to replace me. Second, there will be a meeting for…” Nick stopped listening at this point. He began to feel like he was going to pass out, his head buzzing and his vision blurring to the point of seeing nothing but mushed together colors. What was going on with him? Why did he keep feeling like this? Despite him being puzzled by the strange feelings he was getting, he remained vigilant in staying awake, shaking his head a little to keep his attention. 

“...And finally, assignments! DelGato, Higgins, Wolford… Sahara Square Swat! Hopps, Wilde… Savannah Central Patrol!” As Bogo said their names, both Nick and Judy stood up, saluted, and then walked out while Bogo continued giving out assignments. Arriving at their car, Nick hopped in the driver’s seat and turned the key to hear the engine roar to life while Judy struggled into the passenger seat. Nick put it in drive and began to drive away from the station. 

Judy looked at Nick. “What was going on in there?” she asked.

“What?” Nick asked, puzzled by her ambiguous question.

“You were pretty much asleep throughout most of that. Are you feeling ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit tired.”

“You were the same way on the train, too. When did you get to bed last night?” she asked.

“It was about eleven… maybe eleven thirty. Later than usual but still… I wouldn’t have expected to feel like this.” Nick said with a yawn. 

“Well just be careful. We don’t need you falling asleep at the wheel.”

“I’ll do my best,” Nick said

“Nick…” Judy said with that tone Nick always hated. Judy seemed to be able to sense when something was wrong like she could smell it. As far as Nick knew, nothing was out of the ordinary other than him being a little tired. But the way she said his name… she sounded so disturbed.  It reminded Nick of his mother when she said his name that way. He recalled the countless times he’d gotten in trouble as a kit. He would always hear his mother say his name with that tone, and he would immediately know that she’d found out about whatever it was that he did. 

_ I really was troublesome... _ Nick thought to himself with a silent chuckle.

 

The rest of the day went by without incident. A couple speeding tickets and a noise complaint were pretty standard for the area, leaving no surprise that they were able to leave at a pretty standard time. Nick and Judy drove back to the station to end the day.

“Is it still the worst Monday in history?” Judy asked.

“No, unfortunately, I was wrong about that,” Nick said. “I guess next Monday will just have to be worse.”

“Let’s not have that be true. I’d rather have my Monday’s be enjoyable.”

Nick pulled the patrol car into its spot in the garage and turned the car off. Both Nick and Judy got out of the car at the same time. They walked into the station and each into their separate locker rooms to gather their belongings before going out to eat. Nick walked up to his locker and twisted the combination into the lock. He opened the door, grabbed his bag and shut it. 

“So how’d things go today, Wilde?” said a mysterious voice.

Nick turned around to see Officer Faxon Howlson had also entered the room.

“Oh, it was pretty standard. Nothing interesting to report. How about you?”

“It got a bit interesting around 3 o’clock today. We received a report of a  _ very _ intoxicated mammal walking in the middle of Main and Forrest Avenue. We got there and the first thing I saw was a weasel fall flat on his face he was so drunk. He got back up and kept trying to walk but we stopped him before he hurt himself too badly.”

“Lucky you. Sounded like a good time.” Nick said while putting the lock back on his locker.

“Oh it was, trust me. Hey, are you doing anything tonight? Me and the guys were going to go to the bar and hang, interested?”

“Sorry, I can’t. Today makes three years Judy and I have known each other. She likes to go out to eat every year to celebrate.”

“I gotcha, hoes before bros, totally...” Howlson said jokingly.

“Oh shut up, dude. You know how it is with us.” Nick said slightly irritated.

“I know, I know, I’m just messing with you. Everyone at the station thinks you two are perfect for each other. I personally can’t think of a better match myself. Don’t let that kind of stuff get to you too much.”

“Thanks, man. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Nick said.

“Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

With that, both of them left the locker room. 

Judy walked into the locker room, opened her locker and grabbed her stuff. She shut the door and saw Officer Jackson enter the room.

“Oh hey! How was today?” Judy asked 

“Oh don’t even get me started. I’ve never had to deal with so many complaints from people in my life,” she said.

“Don’t worry, Jessie, I was in your position about three years ago. I know exactly how you feel.

“Yeah, but parking duty is just the worst. Everyone thinks you’re out to get them and purposely make their day bad.”

“That’s just what people think. You shouldn’t worry about parking duty too much longer anyway. You’ve been on the force for what, almost three months?” Judy asked.

“Yeah, hopefully, I can get some proper assignments soon. Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight?” Jessie asked.

“Oooh, I can’t. Me and Nick are going out to Ray’s Tied House for our three year anniversary. We met three years ago today, but it seems like it was just yesterday though.”

“Really, I had no idea you two knew each other that long. How long have you been official though?”

“Only about a year, but what a year it was. Mostly filled with weird looks, but everyone here thinks were perfect for each other.”

“That’s because you are perfect together. I’ve never seen any two mammals who were more made for each other than you.”

“Thanks, Jessie. I need all the encouragement I can get. Nick can be irritating, but I think that’s what I love about him the most.” Judy said.

“Yeah, that’s great, Judy. I’m really happy for you two. Well, I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“Yup! You too!” Judy said as they walked out of the locker room. Judy saw Nick leaning against the wall, on his phone waiting for her to get out.

“Ready to go?” she asked. Nick looked up and put his phone in his pocket.

“I’m always ready. Let’s do this.” Nick said excited for what was to come.

Nick had made a tradition of going to Ray’s Tied House since Judy mentioned they should celebrate them knowing each other for one year. This was Nick and Judy’s favorite place to eat, even if it was outrageously expensive. It was a good place for special occasions. Judy grabbed Nick’s paw and they left the station. 

“Are we going back the apartment before Ray’s?” Judy asked.

“Yeah, our reservation isn’t until seven,” Nick said.

“Ok,” Judy said. She took hold of Nick’s arm and squeezed it tightly as they walked towards the subway station. They hopped on the subway and began the journey back home. 

“Who was that wolf you were talking to?” Nick asked.

“Oh, that was Jessie Jackson. She’s been on the force for three months so you probably don’t know her.” Judy said.

“I’ve never even seen her around.”

“That’s because she’s got the privilege of driving the joke mobile. I kinda feel bad for her because she reminds me of myself when I had to do that.”

“Wait! She has to drive that!? How does she fit in it? She’s like ten times your size!” Nick exclaimed.

“The ZPD has more than one of those, silly,” Judy said.

“I guess that would make sense.”

“Dumb fox…” Judy said under her breath. Nick gave Judy a look. He had definitely heard that. Judy looked out the window as if she had not said anything and was completely oblivious to the situation.

“You, are a not-so-sneaky bunny,” Nick said.

“Oh, shush. You can handle it.” Judy said.

“ Oh, I don’t know if I can anymore. I might just keel over right here because of how offended I am!” Nick said with plenty of sarcasm. The subway began to slow down and a female voice announced the next few stops, Nick and Judy’s being next. It came to a stop and the doors opened with a hiss. Nick and Judy stepped out of the subway and began walking towards their apartment.

“I think I’m going to take a nap when we get back. I feel like I’m going to pass out.” Nick said.

“You go ahead. I’ll be getting ready for tonight.” Judy said.

“You’ve got almost two hours before we have to leave. Is it really going to take you that long?”

“Do you want me to look like I just left work, or do you want the beautiful bunny you can’t resist?” Judy said.

“Good point. But can we have a little time before we leave?”

“Why?” Judy asked.

“Oh, you’ll see, Carrots.” Judy looked at Nick and their eyes locked. They stood in front of the door to the apartment, just looking into each other’s eyes. Nick pulled out the keys, opened the door and they both walked inside, Judy going straight for the bathroom. Nick walked over to the couch and laid down closing his eyes. He heard Judy shut the door to the bathroom, the sounds of music leaking through the door, a small voice singing along with it. 

Nick looked up at the ceiling, thinking about the night to come. There was something about Judy that just made Nick feel like the luckiest fox on the planet.  _ Maybe everyone is right...  _ Nick thought. He recalled what Howlson had said to him. Maybe they were perfect for each other. Nick loved Judy, but he didn’t see them as the perfect match. They had plenty of arguments, but together they just seemed to work. 

Not everyone saw them that way, though. Over the year they had been official, Nick had seen plenty of dirty looks, pointed fingers, and overall confused looks from other mammals. Nick was a fox, and Judy was a rabbit, predator and prey, fire and gasoline. Most people saw complete polar opposites, typically dangerous if too close to each other. Nick and everyone at the station saw things differently. They worked well together.  _ Like peanut butter and jelly... _ he thought. Nick let out a soft chuckle when he thought of the metaphor. It caused him to momentarily think about both of them dressed as a jar of peanut butter and jelly. Nick’s eyes began to slowly close, him at first protesting, but then letting them shut, and all went to black.

Nick’s eyes shot open. How long had he been asleep? He looked at his phone, reading just a little past six o’clock.  _ Perfect timing... _ he thought to himself. Nick sat up on the couch. He glanced over at the bathroom door, still closed, but now only silence came from the small room. She must have been almost finished with her preparation for the evening. Nick stood up and walked over to the coffee table and plugged his phone into the wall charger. As he did this, the door to the bathroom opened up. Judy walked out, looking like nothing Nick had ever seen before. 

“Wow… maybe I should let you take your time more often,” he said, stunned by the beauty that stood before him. Judy never really liked getting all dolled up just to go out to eat, but today was clearly special.

“So, Officer Wilde. What was it you wanted to do before we left?” Judy said in a flirtatious tone. Nick walked up to Judy. She grabbed his tie and pulled him down to her level. Nick leaned forward, their lips making contact. Nick’s paws moved up to caress Judy’s shoulders. Judy held his tie in one hand and one hand under his chin. They moved apart from each other, seemingly staring into each other’s souls. 

“You read my mind,” Nick said.

“Well, I am a pretty clever bunny.”

“You speak only the truth Officer Hopps. Now let’s go eat. I’m so hungry I could eat an entire rabbit.” Judy looked up at him with a smile on her face.

“Wait, you’re not going to change?” Judy asked.

“I suppose I probably should…” Nick said, still slightly groggy from sleep. Nick walked into their room and Judy followed him. She stood in the doorway while he looked through his closet.

“Do you like this shirt?” Nick asked, holding up a simple short sleeved, dark grey button up.  

“Yeah, but only if you wear your new jeans. It looks better with the dark ones.”

“Good looking  _ and _ a sense of fashion? How did I get so lucky?” Nick said.

“You just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” Judy said, only realizing the truth behind her statement after she spoke it. Nick put on the shirt and pants and grabbed his phone.

“Alright. Let's go eat!” Nick exclaimed.

Judy opened the door to their apartment. Nick walked out after her and he shut the door, locking it and walking away. They walked down the stairs to the main floor and out the door into the cool evening air. Nick began to feel light-headed as he did earlier that day, but this was hitting him more like a freight train. 

Nick stopped and stood still. His mind pondered frantically for what could possibly be happening, but it was all fading away so quickly. His conscious was clouded with an uncertainty and fear that he had never felt before, one that managed to put fear in his heart.

Judy had continued walking, only realizing that Nick stopped after she had made several more paces away from him. Finally noticing that her fox wasn’t by her side, she turned around, confused with a hint of fear seeing him standing completely still and eyes wide with panic.

“Nick…” she asked fearfully, not fully understanding what was going on. That made both of them. 

One quick glance toward Judy was all he managed before he fell to his knees. Judy watched in petrifying shock as her partner’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and fell to the sidewalk unconscious. She ran to his side, tears streaming down her face and screaming for help.


	2. News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little bit of clarification, I am going to be posting a chapter a day until I get caught up with the updated chapters. From there it will all be whenever I get the time to update them. It usually takes some time. Enjoy!

The days had passed just as usual for everyone in the world. But Judy, she was terrified of every little thing. The night Nick passed out on the side of the road did more to her than she let on. She never expected something like that to happen, but then again, no one ever does.

Thankfully, she was not the only one out there when it happened. One of their neighbors, a Bengal tiger… what was his name again? She couldn't remember, but she didn't think it ever really came up. They didn't know him too well but said hello whenever they saw him in the hallways of their apartment. He found Judy kneeling and sobbing over Nick and did as much as he could to help them, calling an ambulance and then giving Judy a ride to the hospital. She would have thanked him, but her mind was so preoccupied with… things. Bad things.

Now, Judy and Nick sat next to each other in the waiting room. Nick was so pensive she could feel it, like the drumming of an elephant's heartbeat. She was the same way though. The tests had been done while Nick was in the hospital, and now they were waiting for the results. A nurse walked through the door to the waiting room and called, "Mr. Wilde, the doctor will see you, now."

"Ok," came his voice, quiet and weak. Giving Judy a quick, fearful glance, he took her paw and they walked into the doctor's office

The nurse led them to the correct room where they took a seat in front of his desk. Nick felt the wooden chair, the oak was smooth beneath his pads and cool to the touch. Nick didn't realize it, but he had been staring at the top of the desk in front of him for quite some time, oblivious to the stag and the bunny staring at him.

"Mr. Wilde," the doctor said, bringing Nick's attention from everything else to him.

"Oh, sorry," Nick apologized. He rubbed at his eyes, hoping to regain some focus on reality, but his mind stayed in a very dark place which caused him to lose his grip on the real world every so often.

"It's quite alright. I imagine you've been quite nervous." Nick nodded his head up and down. "We've got the results back."

Nick gulped down a massive lump in his throat. This was it.

"People react to this news very differently, so I just need to get it out there…. The tests were positive for an aggressive, late-stage primary cardiac tumor. Mr. Wilde, you have heart cancer."

Judy heard, but she didn't believe. Nick? Cancer? It couldn't be, there was just no way this could be happening to them… they were just getting started with life. She tried to look at Nick through her tear-filled eyes, but he only came back as a blur of russet fur and blue from his shirt. She blinked, causing the tears to fall away from her eyes and reveal a version of Nick that she had never seen before.

Eyes stuck open and fearful, glazed over with uncertainty. His mouth hung open ever so slightly to give the world a fleeting glimpse of his quivering tongue and lips. His heart rate had slowed to almost nothing, but it was loud enough for everyone in the room to hear it. He looked afraid.

"It can be a lot to process, but there is something else that I must tell you." Judy looked back to the stag and envied his calm, emotionless attitude. She didn't want to feel like such a cry-baby right now, even if this was some terrible news. She wanted to be strong, strong for Nick.

"Unfortunately, the cancer was found very late. I'm baffled that you didn't feel symptoms earlier. Because of that, it is terminal. I will give you at most, two months. Mr. Wilde, Ms. Hopps, I'm terribly sorry…"

_Two months…. I'm going to die…. Two months, and I'm going to die…._

"Nick…" Judy said. He didn't respond.

"Nick," she said louder. He shuddered and looked around as if he'd just been released from a trance. He looked down at her, not saying anything.

"I'll leave you two alone for now. Please take the time to process this carefully. It's important not to do anything rash." With that, the doctor left the room. Nick opened his mouth as if to say something, but he closed it before he could speak.

"Nick, we have to do something about this. We have to be able to do something. I…." She stopped. Judy became distracted by Nick. He was just… staring at her, like he was trying to memorize every little detail of this moment, from the way her nose twitched ever so slightly, to how her fur danced back and forth with each movement of her head.

"I don't know what to do, Carrots. I'm just trying to figure out what just happened." Nick didn't know what else to say, so he just looked down into his folded paws. The tears began to well up in his eyes. Judy felt tears grow larger and larger until they too ran down her cheeks.

The two came together for a hug and Nick began lightly sobbing, patting Judy softly on her back. They said nothing to each other. It was maybe ten minutes after the doctor left that they finally left as well. Nick had his arm around Judy and she was holding his paw, holding onto it like he would disappear if she let go.

They walked out of the hospital and into the warm summer air. They walked all the way to their apartment from the hospital, as silent as possible. Neither of them had the energy nor the willpower to strike up a conversation. When they arrived at their apartment, Nick walked to the entrance of their bedroom and turned back to her.

"I'm going to do a little reflection… alone, if that's alright." Nick said quietly. Judy did not reply, so Nick walked into their room and shut the door. Judy walked out on the balcony and slid the glass door behind her. Just as she did this, her phone began ringing. She looked to see it was her mother requesting Muzzle Time. Even though she really did not want to talk, and even though she was in no place to be talking, she answered.

"Hey sweetheart, how have things been going?" her mother questioned.

_Oh crap!_ she thought. Judy had been so preoccupied with the events of the last few days that she forgot to tell her parents what happened earlier that week.

"Life sucks right now mom. I completely forgot to talk to you about this."

"What's going on Judy?" Bonnie asked, feeling concerned.

"On Monday, Nick collapsed while we were walking to the subway station. He spent the night in the hospital while they did tests. The results came back today and we just found out... Nick has heart cancer. They are giving him two months. They said they found it late so there's nothing they can do for him, not that there would have been anything to do regardless." Bonnie looked confused and petrified at the same time, not really believing what she had just heard.

"Oh, my… I really shouldn't have called." Bonnie said

"No, mom, it's fine really. You were going to find out this way sooner or later." Judy said, trying her hardest not to cry.

"Listen, I'm not going to make you talk about it anymore. I'll let you go now."

"Ok, mom," Judy said. "I love you…"

" I love you too," Bonnie said, holding back tears. The call ended and Judy put her phone in her pocket. She sat down on the balcony and looked up at the blue sky, wishing that today had never happened. Judy's eyes closed, and within minutes everything went black.

* * *

Judy awoke to the sound of the sliding door opening. Nick walked out, staring at his feet. He took a seat on the balcony next to Judy.

"So… do you want to talk about earlier?" he said with a quiet voice.

"Nick, I'm not sure what to do. There's nothing we can do," Judy said.

"I know. That's the part I'm still trying to understand, but we have to… be ready. We need to be… prepared… for the worst."

"I'm just so scared, Nick. I really don't know how to react." Judy said, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"I know… I am too." Nick knelt in front of Judy, putting his paw on her face, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You will be okay, Carrots. We still have time." Judy became angry.

"No! Nick. I won't be okay! You are going to die, and I'm going to be all alone! I'm scared of what's to come... I, I don't want to lose you!" Judy wrapped her arms around Nick's neck, sobbing heavily. Nick could tell that Judy was not going to accept the facts, at least she didn't want to right now. He hugged her back and held back tears of his own.

"Listen… Judy… I know you don't want to lose me. I'm not exactly thrilled either, but we need to stay hopeful." Nick said, hoping that Judy would calm down. He hated seeing her cry. Nick remembered the first time he had seen her cry, under the bridge. He remembered how hard it was for him to not start crying with her. Nick wanted her to know how much he hurt inside, how much he feared his last moments would be without her.

"I don't want to lose you, Judy. I don't know if you will be by my side when my time comes to pass, and I won't lie to you, that's my biggest fear, that you won't be with me until the end. I don't want this to be the end of us. It can't be. We need each other more than ever now." Nick began softly sobbing. His emotions were getting the better of him, but he didn't care. "We can make it through this together."

"You really think so?" Judy said, wiping the tears from her beautiful violet eyes. Nick stared into her eyes, fully realizing just how beautiful her eyes were. Nick looked at Judy as if it was the first time, taking in the exquisite beauty that sat before him. Judy, now sitting normally in her chair, stared back into Nick's piercing green eyes. Both of them leaned forward, lips touching in delicate passion. Nick's arms wrapped around Judy and her arms went around his neck. They moved apart, breaking the kiss, looked into each other's eyes once again, and moved back in for another kiss as if this was the last time they would be together. Nick moved away, still staring into Judy's eyes.

"I know so," he said. Judy stood up, motioning for Nick to get up as well. They walked back into their apartment, knowing very well that they had nothing to fear.

They slid the door closed behind them. Judy felt better about the situation, but she couldn't help still feeling scared. She had all the reason to feel this way, that was for sure, but Nick had shown her that she didn't need to be scared. Nick plopped on the couch and patted the spot next to him. Judy hopped up onto the couch and leaned her head against Nick's side.

"Ya know what, Carrots?" Nick said. "We never got to go to Ray's. How about some drinks to ease the moment?"

Judy looked up at Nick."I thought you'd never ask," she said. Nick stood up and Judy got up along with him.

"I think we'd better go if we're going to do this. They're going to be getting busy soon," Nick said.

"We can wait a little bit. I think we both deserve to just sit down here for a bit." Nick hated to admit it, but that did sound good. He'd spent the last couple days laying in a hospital bed, not getting out of it until last night, then going right back to the hospital to hear the worst news of his life.

He sank back into the couch, relaxing his entire body. He laid back, put his paws behind his head and let out a big sigh of relief. Judy put one of her paws on his chest, feeling his heartbeat and the rising and falling of his breathing. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Nick loved being this close to Judy. He always felt like nothing could go wrong. He looked at Judy, once again seeing just how beautiful she was.

Nick looked at his partner like it was the last he would ever get to see her. She looked up and their eyes met.

_Damn…_ Nick thought when he caught glimpse of her lavender eyes.

"Has anyone ever told you just how beautiful your eyes are?" Nick said.

"Not really. I mean, sure, people have commented on how nice the color is, but I've never heard anyone say it like that." Judy said. She could feel her ears go red.

"Well, it's true. And not just about your eyes.  _You_  are beautiful. All of you. Every aspect of you, from your eyes to the way that you brighten up a room just by walking in. Don't ever let any of that change, Carrots. Never let anything take that away from you."

"Nick…" Judy didn't know what to say. She'd never heard words like that. Judy got closer to Nick. He looked down so his muzzle was touching the top of her head. They stayed in the embrace of each other for what seemed an eternity. An eternity that neither of them wanted to end.

Judy broke the silence. "Alright, Slick. I'm going to get ready." Judy said as she hopped down from the couch and into the bathroom. Nick got up and just sat for a moment, taking the time to remember and cherish that moment. Nick stood up and went into their bedroom. He walked by his desk, seeing his paper from earlier.

"Can't have her seeing that just yet…" Nick whispered to himself. He grabbed the paper and put it in the small filing cabinet beneath his desk. Nick walked over to the large walk-in closet, opened the door and turned the light on. Nick looked on the right side where he had all of his clothes. Nick figured that since tonight was going to be extra special, he'd wear something a bit more formal. Nick found a long-sleeved, maroon dress shirt, a black bowtie, and a pair of black slacks.

He grabbed his suit jacket as well just to complete the look. He put on his shiny black shoes and looked in the mirror. It wasn't really his style, but he had to admit that he felt proud of what he picked. He decided to leave the room before Judy walked in to get dressed. Nick walked back out into the living room and leaned up against the wall, being sure not to wrinkle his jacket. He heard the door to the bathroom open and Judy walked straight from the bathroom to their room. Nick pulled out his phone to see a message from Clawhauser.

**Clawhauser: I hope everything went well this morning...**

**Nick: Things really can't be much worse, but right now everything is ok.**

**Clawhauser: I don't like the sound of that. Please tell me that everything is good…**

**Nick: Unfortunately no. I'll tell everyone on Monday.**

**Clawhauser: Ok :(**

Nick put his phone back in his pocket. He looked at the clock on the wall, reading 4:37. Hopefully, they could get seats right away. Bar seats wouldn't be bad but Nick wanted to get an actual table. Going to Ray's without a reservation was nearly impossible, but if they were early enough, they should have no problem. Judy walked out of the bedroom. Nick looked over at her, seeing her in a maroon dress. Nick stared at her, amazed at how wonderful she looked.

"Great minds think alike," she said, nodding to Nick's shirt. Nick smiled. The dress was perfect. It left one leg significantly more exposed than the other; the perfect blend of class and sexiness. It was plenty long having a little bit of material lying on the floor behind her. What's more, it made her eyes stand out even more, giving her a radiating glow of extravagant beauty.

"I see. This is a nice surprise," Nick said, still stunned by the way she looked. Judy walked towards Nick. Nick looked at her, offering his arm to her. She reached up and held on and they walked out the door.

* * *

Nick and Judy made it to the front of Ray's Tied House. It was a rather large building, constructed in a way to make it appear as a large cabin in the mountains. The use of cobblestones on the exterior gave it a genuine feeling. Nick and Judy walked inside, where the theme of the exterior merged with that of a modern home. A rustic but refined atmosphere surrounded them. Nick and Judy stood in front of a podium where they awaited seating. A wolf walked by and saw the two standing there.

"Hi, welcome to Ray's Tied House. Do you have a reservation?"

"No, we don't," Nick said.

"Alright. Let me see if we have any available seating," The waiter looked down at the podium, scrolled on a touchscreen a couple of times then looked up,

"Is it just going to be a party of two?" The wolf asked.

"Yep, it's just us," Nick said.

"Ok, I'll have you two follow me," and they began following the wolf back to their seats. The wolf led them to a small round table right next to a tall window. "I can go ahead and get you some drinks…" the wolf said.

Nick took only a few seconds to order his drink, his usual scotch, and soda. Judy ordered a simple glass of carrot juice as well as an extra glass of ice water. The waiter nodded and left to go get their drinks. Nick looked at Judy with a grin on his face.

"What?" Judy asked.

"Did you see the look on his face when he first saw us? He was so confused." Nick said, holding back a slight giggle.

"I didn't even notice," Judy said. "I kept getting a glare from that doe over there." Judy motioned behind her. Nick looked over to see a doe quickly turn her head away from the two. "I think she's jealous of my dress, or maybe the fox that's sitting across from me…. Or maybe both…" Judy said with a sarcastic tone.

"I imagine it's both. She gave me a bit of a death stare when we first walked in. Not that there wouldn't be a reason to be jealous… of us." Nick said sarcastically. He was right. There most definitely was a reason to be jealous. They were perfect together.

"You always know what to say to put a smile on my face," Judy said.

"I don't know about that, but I try at least."

"It works more often than you think, Nick." The waiter came back with the drinks and set them on the table.

"Can I get you two anything to eat?"

"We'll just have a small order of cheese curds for now," Nick said, "Oh and can you get a glass of Merlot for the lady?"

"Absolutely, sir." the waiter said. Judy gave Nick a glare, not unlike the one the doe gave them.

"Nick, you know I don't drink."

"Awww, come on, Carrots. Have a little bit of fun tonight. Let's try to have a good time."

"You can be such a pain sometimes…" Judy said, holding back a smile. After a couple of minutes, the waiter came back with Judy's drink.

"I've got the Merlot," he said. Judy looked up at him and he placed the glass in front of her. Judy picked up the glass and put it to her lips, taking a small sip. She set the glass down and analyzed the flavor. She put a clenched paw up to her chest as the alcohol burned in her throat.

"That is quite the feeling," Judy said while letting out a small cough. "Good flavor, but does it have to burn so much?"

"Do you want to try a sip of my scotch?" Nick said jokingly.

"Pass," Judy said with a giggle.

"Well, Carrots. We've known each other for three years now. I'd like to propose a toast." Nick and Judy both raised their glasses. "That the remainder of our time together is filled with nothing but good memories." Nick and Judy touched glasses and they both took a drink.

"I think I could get used to this stuff," Judy said.

"Oh, now you like it. I can't seem to do anything right can I?" Nick said sarcastically.

"You know what I meant."

"Well, on another note, I've always thought of what would have happened had we not met," Nick said. Judy herself had considered this on a few occasions over the past three years.

"While I hate to say it, you'd probably not be here right now," Judy said.

"Elaborate, please," Nick said, staring intently at Judy wanting to hear what she had to say.

"Well, think about it. Had I not been a prejudiced ass-hat, Bellwether would likely still be in power because I would have never had the help to solve the Nighthowler case. She would have gotten every predator in Zootopia, including you."

"Well let's not forget that you wouldn't be a cop either. Had you not had the help of an expert detective like moi," Nick said while pointing at his grinning face. "You would have failed to solve the case in 48 hours, or rather at all and then been forced to resign," Nick said.

"Good point, but what about all the good things that came. Like this last year of us." Judy put a strong emphasis on the word 'us'.

"This last year has been one of the craziest things to happen to me. I mean, who would have thought that I'd be dating a fox from the big city? Most of my family didn't think I would make it through the academy, let alone become a notable officer in Precinct One. But this takes the cake. This last year… has an impossible one for sure." Nick looked at Judy.

"I can't be that bad for you to call it impossible," Nick said.

"You'd be surprised, Slick. There's more to you that you don't even know about."

"Oh yeah, like what?" Nick said, eager to listen to Judy.

"Like how you sing in the shower." Nick's grin quickly turned into a frown.

"You hear that, don't you…" Nick said, his ears falling back. Judy didn't reply with words, just a slow nodding of her head and a smug little grin on her face.

"Hey don't get me wrong, you're a great singer. It's just hilarious that you had no idea I can hear you." Just then, the waiter came back.

"Alright, I've got an order of our famous cheese curds?"

"Yep, that's us," Nick said

"Ok, can I get you two anything else?"

"Nope, I think we're good for now, thank you." The waiter walked away. Nick was staring at the basket of cheese curds. These were the best you could get, and Nick's favorite. Nick grabbed one and popped it into his mouth, chewing and letting out a satisfactory moan. "Soooo good!" Nick said.

"I never understood the appeal of fried balls of cheese. It just seems like a heart attack waiting to happen." Judy said.

"Oh come on, when something is this good, who cares if they're incredibly unhealthy." In five minutes, Nick had the entire basket completely gone and was ready for another glass of Brandy. Judy had managed to get the entire glass of Merlot down, but she refused a second as she was really feeling the effects of the alcohol. They spent almost two hours just talking and telling stories. Nick paid for the drinks and food, and they got up and left, Nick wobbling a bit as he stood up.

"You know Nick, I've told you all about my family, but I've never heard about yours. You've only told me about the muzzling, but we've been together for a while, and I want more." Judy said, slurring her words slightly.

"So you want to know about where I came from, huh? Well, let's get home so we can sit down and talk. It's kind of a long story."


	3. Rebels

A subtle, yet loud beeping brought a vixen out of her restful slumber, indicating that morning had broken over the city of Zootopia. Veronica hit the clock to stop the alarm which persisted though she had already woken without protest. She got up for the day, feeling a strange anticipation pushing down on her. Veronica walked into Nick's room, turning on the light and giving him a slight shake on the shoulder.

"Wake up sweetheart, it's your first day of school," she said in a motherly tone. Nick acted like he was still asleep, though a small grin appeared on his face as she continued to shake him harder and harder. "I know you can hear me, Nick. It's time to get up."

"C'mon mom, five more minutes, please?" Nick grumbled.

"No, you've got to get ready, silly."

"Ok…" he said reluctantly. Nick sat up in his bed, rubbing the remaining sleep out of his eyes.

"Chop, chop Nicky, you've got fifteen minutes," Veronica said from around the hall. Nick got out of bed and went into the bathroom. He brushed the fur on top of his head, some of it still sticking up at weird angles. He disregarded the crazy furs on his head and went back to his room to change into his clothes for the day. Nick ate his breakfast and brushed his teeth in record time, excited to start his first day of second grade.

"Ready to go?" his mother asked.

"Yeah. I was pretty much born ready," Nick said with a smug tone.

"Whatever you say, baby." Veronica chuckled. Nick grabbed his backpack and threw it over one shoulder. Veronica opened the door to their apartment and Nick ran out the door. She locked the door and they began walking to Nick's school, conveniently located just a few blocks from the apartment. Nick skipped about on the sidewalk, eager to begin his first day. Veronica walked straight, her eyes following Nick as he ran about. They made it to the front of the school, seeing lots of young mammals trying desperately to escape from their parents grasps. Veronica was approached by an older looking zebra, who introduced himself.

"Hello, you must be Veronica Wilde. I'm Albert Stripado, the principal here at this fine establishment." He offered his hoof and Veronica shook it.

"Nice to meet you, and this is my kit, Nick," she said gesturing to Nick who was standing right by her side.

"Well, Nick, it's a pleasure to meet you." Mr. Stripado said. Nick looked at the large hoof that had been placed down by him. He grabbed it and shook lightly.

"It's nice to meet you too," Nick said quietly.

"Nick, why don't you go see all of the new children while I have a word with Mr. Stripado?" Veronica said. Nick took the opportunity and ran off, immediately seeming to make friends.

"I can assume that Nick won't be much trouble?" Mr. Stripado asked.

"You shouldn't have any problems with him. He's an excellent student, but I'm worried that a new school might be a bit tough for him to adjust to. Just make sure that he's comfortable." Veronica said.

"Don't you worry Mrs. Wilde, I will do what I can to help him out."

"Oh, actually I prefer Ms. Wilde," she said.

"Sorry, my mistake. I wasn't aware." Mr. Stripado said.

"It's quite alright. But that's another thing I want to talk about. My husband went missing when Nick was just a year old, so he hasn't had a prominent male influence in his life. I've done all I can to raise him right, so I only want to make sure that he's not getting into trouble."

"I'll do my best, but he seems to get along with the other kids." Mr. Stripado said, looking at Nick playing tag with other kids.

"He's always been good with others. I'm just worried is all."

"I'm sure Nick will do just fine. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call or stop by my office," Mr. Stripado said.

"Thank you very much," she said. Mr. Stripado walked towards another group and began greeting them. Veronica looked around for Nick. She saw him standing in a group of about six others. She walked up to him, calling his name.

"Nicky, it's time for me to get to work," she said. Nick turned to his new friends.

"One-second guys," He turned to his mother. "Ok, mom. I'll see you later today?"

"Of course, darling. I love you." She invited Nick for a hug.

"I love you too, mom," Nick said, wrapping his arms around his mother's waist. Nick turned back to his group of friends continuing the telling of whatever story he was telling. Veronica started walking away and kept looking over her shoulder as if to make sure that Nick hadn't disappeared in the two seconds she'd turned away from him.

_Ok, Veronica. Keep it together, you sappy old vixen… Get ahold of yourself…_ she thought to herself while holding back tears. She started walking faster and was eventually out of sight of the school. She made it to the bus stop just in time, finding Sheila, a very charismatic snow leopard that she worked with.

"How'd it go, Ronnie?" Sheila asked.

"As you'd expect. I almost didn't let go of that final hug. Today is going to be horrible," Veronica said.

"Oh quit being so melodramatic. When has Nick ever given you trouble?"

"Good point, but what do you know about parenting? You've never had kittens. I... just have a strange feeling about today."

"Maybe it's just because he's going to a new school and you don't want him to be left out," Sheila said.

"He's already made plenty of friends, so that's not the issue."

"Then it's probably just because you are the most paranoid vixen I've ever met."

"Har har, very funny," Veronica said. The bus pulled up to the bus stop and hissed to a halt. The door opened up and the small crowd began boarding the bus. Veronica and Sheila were the last two on the bus. The door closed behind them and they took their seats.

* * *

_"So wait, you went to a new school and just made friends instantly?" Judy asked._

_"Yeah, I really don't know how I managed to do it," Nick said with a chuckle._

_"Ok, please continue."_

_"Right, now where was I?"_

* * *

Veronica sat down at her desk and turned on the computer that sat in front of her. She leaned back in her chair, letting out a big sigh. She couldn't stop thinking about the strange feeling she had about today.

"I'll just have to work extra hard to get this out of my mind," she said to herself. She typed on the keyboard to access the computer and she began the long and boring workday.

Veronica's focus was broken by the ringing of the telephone on her desk. She looked up from her computer and looked at the small analog clock next to the phone. She had already been working for three hours. She grabbed the phone and answered.

"This is Veronica Wilde," she said. The voice on the phone said something. Her eyes got wide and her ears fell. "Ok. I'll be there as fast as I can." She stood up and ran down to the main level of the office building and out the door. Veronica flagged down a taxi and she got in the back. "Central Zootopia Elementary, please," she said hastily.

Veronica sat in the small waiting room, awaiting the call from the principal's secretary. Her legs were shaking and she was breathing heavily.

"Ms. Wilde, Mr. Stripado will see you now." the secretary said. Veronica got up and walked into Mr. Stripado's office, seeing Nick sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"Ms. Wilde, thank you for coming on such short notice, but as you can see, we have a slight issue." Mr. Stripado said.

"I don't understand. What happened," she asked.

"Well, as far as I can tell, one of the other students didn't get along with Nick and instigated a quarrel between the two of them."

"I wouldn't have had to if he didn't make fun of me," Nick said in protest. Veronica looked down at him with a glare that could go through a brick wall. Nick looked down into his paws and stopped talking.

"As I understand it, Nick didn't start anything, so I can't see how there's an issue," Veronica said.

"That's how it appears, but Nick hurt the other student quite badly. We have a flexible policy when it comes to misconduct of this nature, but this was taken a bit too far. I've spoken with the parents of the other student, and they know that it was their child that started it. Nick would be getting off clean had he not gone to such lengths to show his discontent."

"Nick is never like this. Something would have to really get to him for him to do this. Might I ask what exactly happened."

"He made fun of me because I was a fox!" Nick said. Both Veronica and Mr. Stripado looked at Nick. Veronica's ears fell back. She was a bit suspicious that Mr. Stripado was keeping a part of the story hidden from her.

"Might I ask who the other student was, Mr. Stripado?" Veronica asked with a suspicious tone. The zebra was beginning to become restless. He didn't want to have to say this, but now he couldn't avoid it.

"The other student was Martin Garry. He's a rabbit... of the Garry family, the wealthiest rabbit family in Zootopia." Veronica looked at Nick, and then back up at Mr. Stripado.

"I think we're done here. The way I see it Nick has done nothing wrong." she said.

"Ms. Wilde, what Nick has done would likely have gotten him expelled from any other school. He's lucky-"

"I don't give a damn what he did! Those Garry rabbits are prejudiced assholes and they deserve it for teaching their children to be racist pieces of shit! Now, if you punish Nick for putting that kid in his place, then I swear to the Lord Almighty that I will take you down." She gave Mr. Stripado an evil glare. He looked at her, eyes wide open and terrified. She looked down at Nick. "C'mon, Nicky. Let's go home." Nick stood up and grabbed his mother's paw and they walked out of the office.

* * *

_"So you got in a fight with Martin Garry when you were little? That's hilarious. My parents hated anything that had to do with them."_

_"Yeah, well at the time, I didn't realize exactly what would happen after that."_

* * *

Veronica and Nick walked up the stairs to the door of the apartment. She turned the key and opened the door. Nick walked in and sat down on the couch. He figured that even if he didn't get punished at school, mom would be on his case. She sat down next to him and put her paw on his shoulder.

"Nick, do you want to talk about what happened?" she asked, concerned for her kit.

"Mom, I'm sorry…" he said, sniffing and holding back tears.

"Nicky, you don't have to be sorry, you did what you had to. Now can you tell me exactly what happened?" Nick looked at his mother, tears falling down his face.

"I was on the playground, when this bunny walked up to me, acting like he was better than me. He looked at me and he just shoved me to the ground. I hadn't said anything to make him mad, he just pushed me. Then he told me that foxes were the worst thing that had ever happened to the city."

_That's something his father would say, alright…_

"That made me angry, so as he was walking away I tripped him and he fell. He looked back at me and tackled me. I pinned him and hit his face with my paw like this." He showed his mother his paw clenched into a fist.

"Nick, did you see any other kids there that were foxes?" Veronica asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, I didn't. I was the only fox at school." Nick said, confused at the question.

"I want you to understand something. Us foxes get a bad rap, just because of who we are. We didn't do anything wrong, we just are who we are, and mammals don't like that. They don't see the world like we do. We've been given a disadvantage by being foxes, but that didn't stop us before, and it most certainly won't stop us now. I made a tough decision to raise you after your father disappeared. Some told me I should quit, few encouraged me to keep going, but the majority didn't understand the gravity of the situation."

"They just saw a fox, barely making a living. I learned something that I want you to understand, Nick. Be proud of who you are. Don't let them see that they get to you, no matter what, because that's how they keep going. If they aren't getting the reactions they want, they will stop. I've lived my life by those words, only I learned them much later than you, but promise me that you will do as I ask, and never let anyone see that they get to you?"

"Ok, mom. Whatever you say," Nick said, though he didn't quite understand what she meant.

* * *

_"I thought you learned that after you got muzzled?"_

_"The truth was that I really didn't understand it back then. It was only a year later that I finally understood."_

* * *

Two weeks later, Veronica received a call while at work. She looked at the phone and considered letting it ring, but she picked it up.

"This is Veronica Wilde," she said.

"Hello, Veronica," a smug sounding voice said on the other end of the line. "This is Gerard Garry. I want to have a little talk about what happened a couple of weeks ago. Can we meet anytime today?"

This was already starting to piss her off. Just by the sound of his voice, she wanted to punch his teeth out, but she didn't need him to know that, so she kept her cool.

"I would assume so. Do you have a time and place in mind?" she said. She did not want to talk to this rabbit, but what would that prove?

"I was thinking around 3 o'clock today. I could have a car sent to your place of employment. We can discuss matters there."

"I suppose that would work for me, Mr. Garry," Veronica said.

"Splendid, I look forward to our meeting. Ciao," and he hung up the phone. Veronica cringed at the utterance of the word 'ciao'. Mr. Garry seemed to live up to his reputation as a smug, snooty, egotistical business-mammal even from over the phone. She wondered exactly what he would want from her.

3 o'clock came around and a big black car pulled up to the office building. Veronica got into the back seat of the large vehicle. Mr. Garry was sitting in the rear-facing seats, dressed in a typical three-piece suit that probably cost more than her apartment's rent for ten years.

"Ms. Wilde. How wonderful that you're here. We have some important matters to discuss." he said.

"Yeah, no kidding, huh? Isn't everything you do, "important business" as you say, or is that just how you make yourself feel better than everyone around you?" she barked at him. Gerard chuckled a little at her insult, seemingly unphased by it.

"As you are aware, I'm sure, my son has undergone medical procedures to ensure that he recovers properly. Your son is the cause of those injuries, so what do you think I want?" Veronica looked at him with glaring eyes.

"I would assume you want me to pay the bills." Mr. Garry nodded in affirmation. "I'll tell you right now that isn't going to happen," she said, crossing her arms.

"And why not, Ms. Wilde?"

"I would have thought someone like you would have been fully aware of the gravity of the situation." Mr. Garry looked intently at Veronica. "Your son instigated the whole thing, starting by spewing out a direct quote from his daddy." Mr. Garry seemed to not understand.

"Please elaborate," he said.

"Your son said that foxes were the worst thing that had ever happened to the city." Mr. Garry's smug grin was replaced by a frown. He had said the same thing several years ago and it had nearly ruined him. If this got out to the public that he had taught his son to be racist just like himself he would be done for. "I don't suppose that would be very good for business if that got out to the public, huh?" she said with a sly grin.

"You can't hold that against me! Who is going to believe a seven-year-old fox!?" he said.

"Oh they don't have to believe my son, they just have to hear it from the countless other mammals that heard the exchange between the two, including three teachers from the school, several students, and the principal himself."

"What could you possibly hope to gain from this?" he said angrily.

"Oh, I don't want anything from you. I'd rather you continue your life as if this never happened. But if you try to get anything from me, I'll be ready to fight. I have a loaded gun, pointed right at the head of your well-being. Try anything, and I pull the trigger, ending your career and your business. One racial slur is enough to ruin a wealthy mammal. But two? Oh, that'll leave an indelible mark for sure."

"I see," Mr. Garry said, clearly defeated. "I'll stay away from you from now on. I won't ask for anything of you, as long as you promise to keep this meeting confidential."

"Agreed. I won't tell a soul what took place here. And I won't put it out what your son said." Veronica said.

"Thank you." Mr. Garry said. He gestured to the open door of the car and Veronica stepped out. She let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

"And that was the end of Gerard Garry's interactions with my family. Unfortunately, I had learned something else from the whole ordeal." Nick said.

"And what was that?" Judy asked. Nick sighed and continued.

"When my mother told me that mammals didn't like foxes just because of what we were, a little part of me died. The part of me that was a cheery little kit just up and died, leaving an angry and disturbed child who didn't have the heart to try to live above the stereotype. My grades began to slip. I started to get into more and more fights. I stopped caring because I knew that no matter what I did, everyone would still see just a shifty fox.'

"I obliviously supported and reinforced the stereotype that I hated so much. I wanted to give life another chance, so when I was invited to join the Junior Ranger Scouts, all doubt I had about other mammals went out the window. They muzzled me, and any bit of hatred that was inside me was released, all in that moment. That was when I understood what my mother told me, that I should never let anyone see that they got to me. After I graduated high school, I left home and lived on my own, learning over time how to con mammals to get their money. I was so baffled that people would stereotype so blindly that I lived up to it, instead of breaking it," Nick said. Judy looked at him concerned.

"Nick…" Judy said. "How long had it been since you've spoken to your mother?" she asked. Nick looked at Judy. He knew he wasn't getting out of this one, so he let out a sigh, preparing himself.

"Since I left home…" he said, looking down at the floor. "So about 17 years…" Judy's eyes widened from shock. She couldn't imagine avoiding her parents for a month, let alone almost two decades. "I resented her for telling me what society thought about foxes. I blamed her for me becoming discouraged and I never really forgave myself for what I put her through. I would like to make amends, but to tell you the truth, I don't know where she is, or whether she would forgive me," Nick said.

"Well, we can find out where she lives. You can go see her and tell her that you're sorry. You need to do this, and I will help you." Judy said, putting one of her paws on his.

"Thanks, Carrots. I think I could use all the help I can get." Nick looked at the clock. It read 2:34 A.M. "Holy smokes, we should probably get to bed." Judy looked at the clock and saw the time.

"Oh… I suppose we should," she exclaimed. They walked into their room together and shut the door.


	4. Bête Noire

Nick awoke in his bed with a start. His whole body shaking, he looked to his right, finding that Judy was not in bed. Confused, the tod looked at the rest of his surroundings. His heart skipped a beat as his eyes took in a bizarre sight.

He was surrounded by nothing but darkness.

He sat up and pulled his legs over the bed so he was sitting normally. He looked at his body, wearing nothing but his boxers. It all looked so real, but this was unlike anything he'd ever experienced.

"What is going on?" Nick said to himself. He felt a strange presence from behind him as if someone was staring at him from a distance. He turned around, seeing a figure standing far away, the distance impossible to judge because of the environment.

He stood up and started walking towards the peculiar figure. Nick walked faster, then he started jogging, and finally, he broke into a sprint. When he got close enough to see who was in front of him, he stopped. Nick looked curiously at the figure standing in front of him, cocking his head to the side. Standing maybe 10 feet in front of him was his mother. She stared blankly into the distance. He wasn't sure if she was actually looking at him or not.

"Mom?" Nick said with a quiet voice. His mother extended her arm and grasped at the air with her paw, reaching for her son.

"Nick," she said in a whisper, though it sounded as if it was a shout. "What have you done, Nick?"

"I… I don't understand…" Nick said, his voice quivering from a sudden flood of guilt. He was beginning to feel scared, but he didn't know why. He still wasn't sure what this was.

"Why have you forsaken me, Nicky?"

"Mom… please stop, you're scaring me…" Nick said. Tears had formed long ago, but now they were large enough to fall down his cheeks. They burned as they rolled away, the pain of his mistakes finally manifesting.

"You… will… be…  _punished!_ " she shouted.

Her arm extended to an incredible length, closing the gap between them. Her paw closed around Nick's neck, causing him to gasp for air. She clenched her paw as tightly as she could and made it impossible for Nick to breathe. Nick slowly felt his feet leave the ground, but as much as he tried, he couldn't bring them back down to the floor.

Nick began struggling to get free from her grip but found himself unable to move. Just as he felt himself losing consciousness, her figure disappeared from in front of him and he began falling. Nick let out a loud scream right before he hit the ground.

* * *

Nick shot up in his bed, shivering and gasping for air. He had one paw over his heart as he panted, trying to calm himself down. At some point during the night, he'd taken off the covers and was sleeping with only his boxers on. He quickly grabbed the comforter from the foot of the bed and pulled it over himself to hopefully stop the shivering. He looked to the right of him to see Judy still sleeping, and he immediately felt a lot better knowing that this wasn't still a dream.

He looked back at the ceiling and laid his head back on his pillow.  _What the heck was that?_  he thought to himself. Nick looked at his alarm clock, which read 5:24. He'd only been asleep for about three hours, and he soon felt sleep coming to him. Despite him not wanting to go back to sleep for fear of another nightmare, he welcomed the heavy eyelids and soon enough the memories of the bad dream were gone and he was snoring quietly.

* * *

Nick opened one of his eyes, seeing the bright morning sunlight filling the room with a light-orange glow. He opened the other eye and blinked to adjust his eyes to the light. He sat up in bed and scratched the back of his head, vaguely remembering the events of his very bizarre dream.

_What could it mean?_ he thought to himself. Could he be nervous about seeing his mother? That was the most likely reason, but he didn't even think it would be possible to see her. He hadn't talked to her in so long that he didn't know where she lived anymore.

Judy was nowhere to be seen, but he could smell a freshly brewed pot of coffee coming from the kitchen, and he could hear some footsteps as well. Nick sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his forehead, the feelings of a headache beginning to become noticeable. Nick grabbed some clothes from earlier in the week and put them on, not wanting to put on any fresh clothes yet.

Nick walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Judy was frantically trying to prepare a nice breakfast, but as far as Nick was concerned, she was failing miserably. She fumbled with burned pieces of toast and her eggs were so poorly flipped that they wouldn't even make good scrambled eggs. Nick had been standing, watching her for about a minute and she still hadn't noticed.

"Having fun there, Fluff?" Nick said with a gruff morning voice. Judy jumped when she heard him and looked over at him.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked.

"Long enough to see that you're bad at cooking."

"Oh my God, you are unbearable, and it's only 8 o'clock in the morning," she said. Nick looked at her and giggled a little bit. "What's so funny, Slick?"

"You. You are funny."

"Oh, stop it. And help me out if you only want slightly burned toast," Judy demanded.

"Alright, you're the boss. But I'll have you know that I actually like my toast a little well done," Nick said.

"Well then check the trash, there should be about three nicely burnt slices in there."

Nick looked in the trash, and just as she said, three slices of black toast were sitting at the top. "Sweet cheese and crackers, Carrots. You need to stop before you hurt yourself... or an entire loaf of bread," Nick said jokingly. Judy gave Nick a good slug right in the arm. Nick let out a yelp.

"That's what you get for making fun of my cooking abilities, or rather inabilities."

"Okay, I did deserve that, but why do you have to hit so hard?" Nick said rubbing his arm.

"I think you deserve a lot worse than that, but I have at least a smidge of mercy," she said.

"So… what all happened last night?" Nick asked.

"Well, you told me about your first day of second grade and that you have neglected to speak to your mother for the last seventeen years," Judy said. Nick put his paws over his face and sighed.

"Really? I said that?" Judy nodded in affirmation. "That's what I get for drinking too much," he said.

"Yeah, you were slurring your words a little bit," Judy said with a giggle. "Breakfast is going to be ready in a couple of minutes, and I'm sure my cooking will be just fine since you seem to be a little hungover." Nick didn't need her to remind him of the incoming hangover, as he was already feeling the effects. He sat down at the kitchen table and looked at his phone.

He opened his photo gallery to see several new photos from last night. He tapped on the first one and a picture of himself lying on the ground, seemingly having tripped, appeared on the screen. He swiped through the other pictures, all of them relating to that first image. Nick looked at his knee, seeing a large scrape, partially scabbed over.

"How did I not notice that?" He touched the wound, pulling his finger back as he winced in pain. "And how did that get on my phone?" Judy shrugged.

"I have no clue, but drunk Nick is hilarious. I looked away from you for a second and when I looked back, you were face-first on the ground." Judy said chuckling.

"Well, why didn't you stop me?"

"What from drinking? I figured you could handle it since you've drunk plenty of times beforehand."

"That doesn't mean I have self-control," Nick said. Judy brought the pan of sort-of scrambled eggs over to Nick's plate and gave him two pieces of toast.

"Eat up, we've got a lot to do today."

"Like what?" Nick said.

"We are going to find out where your mother lives and you are going to apologize." Nick groaned in discomfort, clearly not wanting to have any part in today's activities.

"We're not doing that today are we?"

"Yes. We are. You need to do this, Nick, otherwise we might not have another chance to do this. But don't worry, I'll be there for you."

"Well, I was hoping to have a little more time to prepare. It's not every day that you go see your mother for the first time in seventeen years," Nick pouted.

"I know, but this will be good for you."

"Yeah, but I just can't help but think that this is a bad idea."

"Why would it be a bad idea? Whatever she says, you just need to accept it. You made a mistake, and it's time to finally face that." As much as he didn't like it, he knew Judy was right. He messed up, and he needed to accept whatever his mother wanted to do about it. If she said she never wanted to see him again, there was nothing that he could do about it. But of course, if there was a way he could make amends, he would do it in a heartbeat.

Nick sighed. "I'm going to shower. After that… we can go find out where she lives."

"Go ahead, you smell like alcohol and greasy food," Judy said from the living room. She had turned on the television and was watching the morning news.

Nick stripped himself of his clothes and got in the shower. He turned on the water and pulled the little plunger on the tap to get it to come from the shower head. The water rained down on top of him, cold at first, but quickly became nice and hot. Nick stood, letting the water pour onto him, thinking about what to say to his mother when, or rather if he sees her today.

_Hi mom, it's been a while, hasn't it?_  Nick thought. Yeah, it had been a while. It had been too long.

_This was not going to be easy, but this is my fault, and I have to fix it..._  Nick thought. Nick grabbed the bottle of soap and put some in his paws, he lathered them up and rubbed all over himself, being sure to wash away any indication of last night. He'd rather not go to his mother's house smelling like a bottle of brandy, which he was sure she would appreciate.

Nick shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing his towel and drying off, he walked over to the bedroom on the other side of the hall with it around his waist. Nick opened up the closet and picked out his favorite shirt, khakis, and decided on a monochrome blue tie. Nick walked out into the living room to see Judy laying on the couch, on her phone.

"You ready to go, Carrots?" Nick said.

"Yeah, let's do this!" Judy exclaimed. She seemed to be in very good spirits about this, but Nick was dreading the moment he would have to see his mother for the first time in so long. The fear of anger and the possibility of violence was not what scared him. It was the inevitability of sheer disappointment from his mother that made him incredibly uneasy. Nick walked out the door after Judy, locking it and walking away.

_No turning back now…_  Nick thought to himself. They walked down the stairs and out into the oddly cold air. It was the beginning of November but it was unconventionally cold, likely in the mid 30's.

"So, what's the plan?" Nick asked.

"Well I was thinking that since we aren't supposed to be doing any sort of work today, I would have Clawhauser help us out a little," she said.

"How'd you manage to get help from him?"

"I might have bribed him with a box of donuts. Okay maybe three boxes, but you get the point," Judy said.

"Of course you did," Nick said, a smile appearing on his face. They walked all the way to the ZPD from the apartment. Nick was beginning to regret not wearing at least some sort of jacket. It usually didn't get too cold in Sahara Square, but with it being November, it could dip near freezing at some points. Today was clearly one of those days.

Making it to the ZPD, Nick shivered as he walked to the front entrance ahead of Judy, opening the door for her and then coming into the warmth of the lobby. Clawhauser was sitting in his usual position at the front desk, an empty box of donuts sitting next to his name plaque.

"Nick! Judy! How's it going?" Clawhauser asked.

"Oh, it's been an interesting morning, to say the least," Nick said. "So, let's get right to the chase, we need your help to look up a 'mammal of interest'."

"Ok, and what are you willing to do for me in return?" he said questioningly with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"We already talked about this, Ben..." Judy said.

"Yeah, but I want more than just the donuts, I want to know what's been going on the last few days. You've kept everyone here in the dark and it's really doing a number on us." Clawhauser said.

"Listen, if we promise to tell everyone later, will you help us?" Nick asked.

"Oh, I was going to help you out no matter what, as long as I get those donuts."

"Sure thing, Ben. You'll get your donuts," Judy said. "Now, you remember when you were in records?" she said. Ben nodded in affirmation.

"Follow me," he said. "I'll take you two downstairs."

He got up from his chair and grabbed a set of keys. Nick and Judy followed him to a door marked 'Basement'. He opened the door and they walked down the stairs. They walked down a dimly lit hallway to a door all the way at the end. Clawhauser took the keys, looked at them carefully, being sure to choose the correct key. He held up a small, brass key and unlocked the door.

"This was my old office back when they had me in records. Now it's empty and nobody ever uses it. I'll log onto the computer and let you do the searching." Clawhauser said. He sat down at the small desk and tapped on the keyboard. He stood up and slid over to allow Nick to sit in the chair.

"Just come up and let me know when you're done."

"Alright, thanks, Ben. You'll have those donuts on Monday." Nick said. Clawhauser let out a little giggle and walked out of the small room. Nick clicked on the files and searched for his mother's name. He typed into the computer 'Wilde, Veronica G' and an old mugshot of his mother showed up.

"I had no idea mom had a criminal record," Nick said, surprised. He looked over the file, seeing that the only thing on her record was driving without a license from when she was 18… and assaulting an officer. "I think I'll be having a word with her about that," Nick's eyes panned over the screen until he found the address. "Bingo. 2554 S. Forest Pl, Apt. 404. Hopefully, she still lives there," Nick said. Nick shut off the computer and closed the door behind him. Judy was beside him as they walked up the stairs.

"Well, all we have to do now is find the place, then…" Judy said.

"Then what?" Nick asked.

"I don't know, I was hoping you'd be able to finish that sentence for me."

"Well, then I can make things right, and I guess I'll have to tell her about Monday night..." Nick said, his voice suddenly becoming saddened.

"I didn't think about that. Are you sure you want to do this, now?" Judy asked.

"It's time for me to make things right, or at least try. I also don't want to scare her. It might be a little bit hard to do that, though." Judy looked at him, slightly concerned. "Alright Ben, we're done down there."

"Excellent, now I want to know why you've been all weird and stuff," he said. Nick and Judy looked at each other, and then at Ben.

"Sorry, Ben. I'd rather have everyone hear it from me. If I tell you right now, then someone is bound to get it to spread." Ben didn't seem to like Nick's answer too well. He put on his sad eyes, but they did nothing to sway Nick choice to keep quiet for now.

"Ok, good luck you two," Ben said sadly.

"Yep, have a good rest of your day," Judy said. Both of them walked out of the station, side by side. Nick was on his phone, using the GPS on it to find the apartment.

"It looks like it isn't too far from our place, only about three miles or so," Nick said. Judy looked at Nick's phone so that she could see where it was that they were going.

"I guess we could take the subway. I would imagine we get off at 17th instead of 15th?" Judy asked.

"Yeah, then we'd only have about five blocks to walk from there. I still wish I put on a jacket, it's really cold out," he said shivering.

"It's only 9 o'clock in the morning, it'll get warmer," Judy said.

"Will it get warmer in about two seconds? I don't think so," Nick said sarcastically.

"No… but you can handle it. You're a tough fox," she said as she punched his arm. He let out a yelp and rubbed his arm. "Ok, maybe I'll take back what I said," she said jokingly.

"Hey, you hit harder than you think, and my arm is sore," Nick said.

"Sore from what?"

"I don't know, I think I slept on it wrong," he said.

"Yeah, right," Judy said. They walked up to the subway station and sat down on a bench. They sat for a few minutes before the next subway arrived. When it came, they boarded and found two open seats. The subway began to move and a female voice announced the next few stops.

"So, what else do you want to do today?" Nick asked.

"Oh, I don't know. We could probably just go back home after this, waste some time there. Why, did you have something in mind?" she asked.

"No, I was just wondering since we've got nothing else to do for the rest of the day." Nick pulled out his phone, seeing that it was a little past 9 o'clock. Nick sat back in the chair and leaned his head back. He closed his eyes for a while, letting everything sink in. He considered all possibilities of what could happen at his mother's.

She could be angry, which Nick could handle because she had every right to be. He did not want her to be disappointed, though. That had been his worst fear as a child and was still pretty high up on that list. Their stop was coming up and so Nick opened his eyes and readjusted his seating position. The voice announced their stop, the subway slowed down and the doors opened up.

Nick and Judy walked off the subway and onto the platform. The cool morning air was still present, although it was getting a little warmer, just enough to be noticeable, but not enough to make Nick feel any less cold. Nick shivered as he walked out of the subway.

They continued walking, passing by other mammals and apartment buildings. When the building in question came into view, Nick felt his heart skip a beat, which escalated into a deep, primal sense of fear and a desire to run before something truly bad happened. His heart rate increased dramatically, it's thumping audible to his own ears, and probably Judy's. His breathing became shaky, erratic, and heavy, which ultimately brought her attention to him.

"Nick, please calm down. You can't see your mother like this. Just take some deep breaths and try to calm down." Nick slowly lowered himself until he was in a seated position on the sidewalk. Judy stood by him and rubbed his back as he did his best to calm himself down.

"I know… I know…. The gravity of the situation is finally catching up with me..." Nick replied. It took nearly two minutes, but Nick finally managed to calm down. Nick stood back up with the help of Judy, and they continued walking. Approaching the building, they looked at the doors where they saw the numbers 2554. They opened the door and walked in, feeling the nice contrast of warm air. They found the stairs and began walking up, but after the first two floors, Nick was already feeling winded.

_I'm really out of shape…_  he thought to himself. Judy continued ahead of him, looking back and rolling her eyes.

"C'mon Nick, we're only halfway, let's pick up the pace," she said.

"I'm trying, Carrots. I guess I'm just really out of shape."

"I'm sure…" she joked. They continued walking up and made it to the fourth floor. Nick looked down the hallway, looking for the number of his mother's room. They walked to the left, numbers increasing until they found room 404. Nick looked at Judy, and she gave him a nod as if she was saying, 'Go ahead'. Nick walked up to the door and held his fist up to it. He hesitated slightly before knocking on it three times. He waited and listened. He heard some footsteps walking towards the door, but nobody answered. Then the doorknob began to slowly turn.

* * *

Veronica was sitting in her reclining chair, watching the morning news when she heard three knocks on her door.

_Who could that be?_  she thought to herself. She got up from her chair and walked over to her door. She looked through the small glass hole in the door and saw a fox standing outside. She couldn't help but notice he looked an awful lot like…

_No… this cannot be happening..._  Her paws came up to her muzzle, barely stifling a gasp. She considered not answering the door, but she grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned it. She pulled open the door, seeing Nick standing in front of her, wearing a sad grin. Time seemed to stop as their eyes locked, leaving everyone in silence for what felt like an eternity.

"Mom..." he said, barely able to speak.

"You… you left," Veronica said, nearly breaking down right there. Nick felt the disappointment in those words, and it hit him like a bus.

"I… I know… and I want to say that I'm sorry… for everything. Can we come in and sit?" Nick asked, once again struggling to get the words out. Nick's mother looked at him strangely.

"We?" she said, looking out into the hallway. Nick looked to the right of him and motioned with his paw for Judy to walk over. She stood next to Nick, a small smile on her face.

"Come on in…" Nick's mother said. Nick and Judy walked into her apartment, which had a similar layout to their own. They sat down on the couch and Veronica sat back in her chair. She grabbed the remote and turned off the television. She looked at Nick, studying him.

"So… I'm not exactly sure how this is supposed to go…. I know we have a lot to talk abou—"

"You got that right. After seventeen years I would hope there's a lot to discuss, and there better be a damn good explanation," She said angrily. Nick's ears splayed back and he looked at his mother like a child who had just gotten in trouble. He suddenly feared the thought of his mother being angry much more than before. "Do you have any idea what you did to me? You left me all alone, Nicholas. I tried to contact you for a long time, but you were nowhere to be found. Up until three years ago, I thought you were dead!"

"I know! That's why we're here! I want to say that I'm sorry. You have every right to be angry, but I want you to know that I truly am sorry," Nick said, his voice more apologetic that it had ever been.

Veronica sighed. "I want to know what the hell was going through your head to make you just up and leave and without telling me," Veronica said.

"If you want the truth, I'll give you the truth. You told me that we had a disadvantage, just because we were foxes. I resented you for that. When I graduated high school, I saw that as freedom for me; that I could finally live how I wanted, so I left. I don't know what was going on in my head, but I felt miserable because of what I did. I have hated myself for doing it for years. I just never had the courage to face my fears and tell you that I made a big mistake." Nick let out a long, drawn-out sigh, finally feeling better now that he'd told his mother what he was feeling. He put his arm around Judy's shoulders.

"Judy helped me to muster up the courage, Mom. She showed me that I had it in me all along, but I just hadn't found it. It breaks my heart that I have to do this because it means that I hurt you. I hurt you badly, and it was all my fault. I take full responsibility for any pain you experienced over the last two decades." He had stopped trying to hold back the tears and they began flowing down his face. "I was a jerk. I was a terrible son, and I'm sorry, Mom. I really am. I want things to be good with us again," he sobbed.

"Oh, Nick. Do you really think I could be that mad at you?" she said with tears in her eyes. She stood up and opened her arms. Nick got up and hugged his mother. Nick began sobbing hard and he held on tightly, letting his emotions get the better of him. Judy sat on the couch, tears beginning to form in her eyes too.

They broke the hug and stared into each other's eyes. "Nick, I'm proud of you. I want you to know that. I never truly hated you, I was just angry, that's all," she said. Veronica hugged Nick again until he stopped crying. "Now that we got that out of the way, I want to know all about the last seventeen years." Nick sat back down next to Judy. "But first, I want to know who this is."

"Mom, this is Judy, my partner and… girlfriend," Nick said, mumbling the last word.

"It's nice to meet you, Judy. I sure hope you've been keeping him in line." Veronica said.

"I try, but it's not easy," Judy said with a chuckle.

"So you say you're partners, like, business partners or what?" Veronica asked.

"No, we're both police officers," Nick said. "We work together on cases and things like that."

"I thought that was you in the papers," she said. "So how long have you been an officer, Nick?"

"Only about two and a half years. I worked in  _various fields_  before that." Nick said. He probably didn't want to get into too many details about his past.

"What kind of fields?" Veronica asked. Nick flinched at the words she said. He really didn't want to get into his past, but now he really had no choice.

"I may have worked on the streets… swindling innocent mammals out of cash..." Nick said, shifting his seating position vigorously.

"Ah… that's, um, interesting. I didn't know you did that," Veronica said nervously and awkwardly. Nick looked at his mother with an awkward glare.

"Yeah, most don't know that, either," Nick said with a nervous chuckle. "I typically try to stay away from my past. It's not something I'm proud of." His mother looked at him with a concerned look. He figured that they would be talking about that at a later date.

"So what made you decide to become a police officer?" Veronica asked. Nick let out a sigh of relief upon not having to delve any deeper into his endeavors as a hustler.

"While Judy and I were trying to solve the Nighthowler case, she thought I would make a good cop. That brought the idea into my mind, but I really didn't think about it too much until the case was over and done with."

"Yeah, I actually met Nick on my first day on the force. He helped me solve the case and then I got to thinking that we would make good partners, and the rest is history," Judy said with a nostalgic smile on her face.

"Well, I can see you two work well together. I can see a long and happy relationship in store for you two." Veronica said. Nick cringed when he heard those words. He knew what he would have to tell her next. As much as it pained him, he needed to tell his mother the terrible news.

He knew that it would come up during this conversation, no matter what. If his mother didn't mention a good time to bring it up, then he would just do it himself. With that moment only seconds away, he felt much unlike what was expected. He felt the couch disappear from beneath him, and everything seemed to vanish except for his mother and Judy. He felt a surge of adrenaline flow through his veins, making his heart beat faster and his breathing to become shaky.

"Uh, mom, about that. There's something else that I have to tell you. Something happened to us on Monday," Nick said, putting extra emphasis on 'us'. Veronica's eyes became wide, and Nick could see a glimpse of fear in them.

"I… I don't have much time left." Veronica appeared to freeze in place, her emotions unchanging. But Judy could hear how her heart nearly stopped, but each beat was as powerful as they could get. Her face remained expressionless, her mind still trying to process what she just heard.

"I found out yesterday that I have heart cancer. They didn't give any specific amount of time, but the doctor said he didn't see this lasting more than a couple of months." He looked down at his feet, not wanting this meeting to have gone like this. Ideally, he would have preferred to have not mentioned anything, but it was best if she found out now rather than later. Veronica stood up and walked over to Nick. She wrapped his arms around him, and it was then that she finally let the tears fall.

"Nick… I want you to know something…. I will always love you. Never forget that. I will never leave your side." The words hit Nick right in the heart. He didn't deserve to hear that. Not after what he put his mother through. Nick began sobbing with her. "I will not let you go without you knowing that there wasn't a day that went by without me wishing that I had done something different."

"Mom… I don't know what to say. I hurt you badly, and now… Are you blaming yourself? You didn't do anything. It was all me. I left because you told me the truth," Nick said, wiping away tears from his eyes. Nick looked at his mother.

She was smiling.

Nick looked confused.  _Why was she smiling?_

"Nick… there is nothing you could do that would make me love you any less. Don't beat yourself up about this. We can get through this together. All of us here will make it out ok." Nick looked over at Judy and held out a paw. She walked over to Nick and all three of them had arms around each other. They stood, embracing each other for a while, then Veronica looked at Judy.

"Nick, do you mind if Judy and I have a little chat?" Nick looked at Judy. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but after knowing that his mother seemed to like Judy, he figured it was no big deal.

"I guess that's fine," Nick said. Judy looked at Nick, unsure of what his mother would say to her. She was going to have a one on one conversation with Nick's mother. Nick had barely met Judy's parents. While a little intimidating, she felt rather hopeful that it would be a good talk. Nick left the room and Judy sat down. Veronica took a seat next to Judy.

"I don't know what you did to him, but I want to thank you." Judy seemed surprised.

"I didn't think I really did anything," Judy replied.

"Well, you did something, because that is not the Nick I remember. I have only ever seen him cry a few times. He's never been one to let his emotions show. He's changed a lot since I saw him last. I can tell he's been feeling something different." Veronica paused for a moment as if collecting her thoughts for what she would say next.

"Let me ask you something, do you love him?" The question took her by surprise. While the question seemed a bit too much considering how little they knew of each other, it felt appropriate.

"Of course I love him. With every bit of love I've got."

"That's good. He needs all the love he can get. I am a very perceptive vixen, don't get me wrong. I can tell when someone is in need. When Nick walked in, I could tell that he had a lot on his heart. He has let that go, but there is still a lot of healing for him to do. I know that I can trust you to keep him out of trouble, but there's one thing that I need to ask you." Judy's eyes widened. "Can you help him heal, make him whole again?" Judy looked at Veronica and gave her a nod.

"I will do whatever it takes. I'm not one to give up easily, just ask Nick.' Judy said.

"Well, then I guess we're done here." She called Nick back into the room. "Nick, you've got yourself a fine partner. Keep her close. I like this one. And don't hesitate to visit, I like our chats. And always remember that if you need anything, I will be here to help."

Nick nodded. "Of course, Mom. I love you." Nick said, going in for a hug.

"I love you too, baby," she said, embracing her son. They let go of each other and smiled.

"I guess we're ready to go?" Nick said, looking at Judy.

"Yep," Judy said. "I was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Wilde."

"Oh, please, call me Veronica." Nick and Judy gave their final goodbyes and then walked out of her apartment and into the hallway.

After getting a few steps down the way, Nick was the first one to speak. "Well, that went well."

"Yeah, I don't know why you were freaking out so much."

"Like I said before, it's not every day you have to do that."

"Speaking of doing things, is there anything else that we need to do?" Judy asked.

"Nothing that I can think of. I think we could just go home, do nothing. And after today, I think we deserve to do nothing." Judy looked at her phone. "It's only 10:30. We have to do something. I don't really want to sit around at home for the rest of the day."

"Well, what were you thinking of doing?" Nick asked.

"I don't know, I had an idea... it's probably not something you'd want to do, and it would actually be for the rest of the weekend."

"What?" Nick said sternly, not knowing if this was good or bad.

"I was thinking, since we just visited your mother, it got me thinking that I hadn't seen my parents in a while. We have the whole weekend to ourselves, and I was thinking that we could... maybe go to Bunnyburrow" Judy said, expecting him to shut down the idea immediately.

"I don't know, Carrots. The last time we were there your parents did some pretty weird stuff. But if you want to, I suppose we can."

"Really? You actually want to go?" Judy asked.

"I don't  _really_  want to go, but it beats sitting at home with nothing to do."

"Great, I'll look and see what times there are for departures." Judy pulled her phone back out and looked up tickets to Bunnyburrow.

"It looks like there is one that leaves at 1:30. That would put us in Bunnyburrow around 3:15. I'll have to confirm that with mom, though, but I'm sure she'll be okay with us visiting for the weekend." Judy tapped in her mother's number into her phone and pressed send. The phone rang for a few seconds, then she picked up.

_"Hi, sweetheart, what's up?"_

"Hey, mom. I wanted to ask you if you were doing anything this weekend?"

_"No, I don't think we have anything important going on, why?"_

"Well, Nick and I got the idea to visit Bunnyburrow for the rest of the weekend. We have nothing to do, and it has been a while." Judy said.

_"That sounds great! So it would just be you and Nick?"_

"Yep. There's a train to Bunnyburrow leaving at 1:30 today which would get us there by about a quarter past three. Then we'd leave later on Sunday."

_"Terrific! I guess I'll be seeing you two later today then?"_

"Yep, we'll see you later. Love you!" Judy said.

_"Love you too, bye bye!"_  Bonnie hung up the phone, leaving Judy still with her phone up to her ear. Nick looked slightly concerned. He wasn't opposed to visiting, but the last time they were there her parents got up to some shenanigans that made Nick a little uncomfortable, even if it was all in good fun.

"Carrots, I can't help but feel that this won't go well."

"Oh, you'll be fine. The last time we were there my whole family was around. They also were skeptical of you beforehand. They like you now. Everything is going to be great! I don't think they'll pull a hustle on us like they did before." Judy said very excitedly.

"Well, are we going to get those tickets for 1:30?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, those will be good. We'll go home and pack, then we can leave!" Judy replied. They made it to the station and rode home. They walked up to the apartment and began packing.

Nick and Judy had finished packing in a relatively timely fashion. They gathered their luggage and sat next to each other on the couch.

"Well, we've got a few hours, what do you want to do in the meantime?" Nick asked.

"I think I know what you want to do," Judy said in a flirty tone.

"Yep. I could use some food about now." Nick said.

"That's… not what I had in mind, but I guess food sounds good." Judy said disappointedly. She really wasn't all that hungry, but she went into the kitchen to see what they had.

"Looks like all we have is a box of mac n' cheese and a frozen pizza," Judy said.

"Are we really that unhealthy?" Nick asked.

"Well, we typically eat out most of the time. These are probably pretty old," Judy said, grimacing at the old pizza. "I think I can see mold on this." She took the frozen pizza and tossed it into the trash can. "Mac n' cheese it is."

"I've always wondered what it would be like to be a kid again." Nick pondered.

"Why do you say that?" Judy asked.

"Because kids always eat this stuff. I remember practically living off of it one summer when I was about 10 years old, and I don't think I've had it since." Nick said.

"Nick, if you don't feel like having it you can just tell me," Judy said.

"Yeah, I'd rather not. Have you seen the expiration date?" Judy looked at the bottom of the box to see that it had expired almost a year ago.

"I guess not. Will you be fine to wait until we get to Bunnyburrow?"

"I'll be fine, Carrots," Nick said.

"Ok, good. I wasn't about to eat that either." She said with relief. "So what else do you want to do for the next..." she looked at her phone. "Two hours before we have to leave for the train station?"

"I think a nap is in order. I'm pooped," Nick said, a yawn accompanying.

"I can agree with that. I'll set an alarm so that way we don't wake up too late."

Nick and Judy both looked towards their bedroom, but then seemingly telepathically, they both told each other that a snuggle-nap was long overdue. They both headed to the couch in the living room where Nick lay down on the couch and Judy squeezed next to him.

Judy leaned her head back, giving her an upside-down look at her fox. He smiled down at her and placed a kiss right in between her ears, and then on her lips.

"I love you, Judy."

"I love you, too, Nick."

Wrapping his arms around her, Nick brought her even closer than she already was and rested his muzzle gently on top of her head. He thought about how lucky he was to have her by his side, especially right now. As he closed his eyes, he held on tightly, hoping that she would never leave.

* * *

Ruining the peace of their slumber, the alarm on Judy's phone nearly caused the fox to jump off of the couch when it sang it's terrible song which woke them up.

As he was trying to get up, Judy had already risen and was gathering their luggage, frantic to get going and make sure they were going to be on time.

"Ok. we've got about 40 minutes before the train starts boarding. We'll pretty much get there right as they start."

"Woah, there, Carrots. I've only just started to wake up. You know I'm a slow fox when I wake up."

Judy stopped her frantic running about and calmed herself. "I'm sorry. I'm just so excited!"

"Right. Of course, you are. You get excited about everything." Judy stared daggers at Nick for a few seconds, but then thought about how true his statement really was.

"Ok, you have a point there. I've already called a Zuber, so they will be here in a few minutes. We have everything ready to go, so now all we have to do is wait."

Nick and Judy gathered their luggage, which was only a little due to the fleeting nature of their trip to the burrows. They walked out of their apartment and locked it, then walked down to the street and waited.

They sat on the stairs of the apartment while waiting for the Zuber. When it arrived, they put their luggage in the trunk of the car and got in the back.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

"Zootopia Central Station, please," Nick said.

"You got it," the driver replied. They sat in the back of the car silently. Nick's mind was on the events of the last week. It had been the craziest week of his life, and it still wasn't over. He thought about his last visit to Bunnyburrow, and how uncomfortable he was. Everyone was staring at him and Judy's parents had been ridiculously judgy. Thankfully they weren't complete bigots and they had warmed up to him by the end of the trip.

Completely unaware of how tired he still was, Nick nodded off in the middle of the car ride, to which he had a third rude awakening of the day

"Nick. wake up, were at the station," Judy said while shaking Nick vigorously. He opened his eyes and let out a big yawn. He removed his seatbelt and got out of the car. He grabbed the luggage from the back of the car and tipped the driver. They walked over to the large escalator that went down and got on.

Judy stood next to Nick, very eager to begin the trip back to her home. The escalator took them down to the various platforms. They walked over to a bench and sat down. Nick looked at his phone, the clock indicating 1:02. They still had about a half an hour before it left. "I'm going to go get our tickets," Judy said.

"That would probably be a good idea." He hadn't even thought about the tickets.

_That would have been bad if we forgot those..._ he thought. Judy walked away to get the tickets, leaving Nick alone to sit on the bench. He sat, looking into his paws and thinking about the future. He didn't like to, but it was hard not to when he knew that the end was so close.

Judy would have a lot for just her to deal with. Bills, arrangements, not to mention she would need to adjust to living on her own again. He figured she would be alright with that, but it wouldn't be like before they moved in. The apartment would just feel empty.

Judy's return from the ticket booth interrupted his thoughts.

"Well, we can board now or we can wait for a little while," Judy said.

"We might as well board now. I'd rather not sit out in the cold for much longer." They stood up and walked over to their train and boarded. The inside of the train was much warmer than outside, perhaps too warm for Nick's liking. Nick slid off his jacket as he was getting their seats, they sat down, but Judy could tell that Nick was feeling a bit off.

"Nick, you don't look so good,"

"Oh, I'm fine. I've just been thinking about the last week and how crazy it's been. Plus, it's really hot in here," Nick said.

"It has been crazy, hasn't it? Well, hopefully, we can relax a little while we're there and you'll feel refreshed," Judy said.

"Relaxing? Ha. Not with your family. I don't know how your parents can sleep with so many to take care of."

"Oh, believe me, there have been plenty of times where they got only two hours of sleep a night for weeks at a time. From the moment they woke up to the moment they went to sleep they were doing something, whether it was farming or taking care of family matters. I don't think they've had an ounce of free-time for years."

"I kinda feel bad for them. I mean, I would never be able to do what they do."

"Trust me, I couldn't either." The train began to move and pick up speed. Nick looked out of the window, watching the cityscape slowly change into the various subdivisions of the city, Rainforest District, Tundra Town, then Sahara Square until finally they had officially left the city limits and were greeted by endless fields of produce and large groves of trees. Nick laid back in his seat and once again let sleep overtake him.

* * *

Nick felt the train shudder a little, bringing him out of his third nap of the day. He didn't know why he was so tired, but it felt good to actually have time to get a little extra rest. He looked out the window across from him, seeing plenty of fields and very few homes.

When he shifted in his seat, he noticed that his left arm was completely numb. He figured he ended up sleeping on it strangely which caused him to lose circulation temporarily. He gently wiggled his shoulder to try and get the blood to flow into his arm again. Within a few seconds, he could begin to feel the sharp pins and needles of regaining circulation.

Not knowing how long he'd been asleep, Nick caught the attention of a bunny who he knew was one of the attendants.

"Excuse me, ma'am. You don't know how much longer it will be until we arrive in Bunnyburrow, do you?" he asked.

"Oh, it'll be about five more minutes."

"Ok, thank you," he replied. Nick finally regained feeling enough in his left arm to nudge Judy. "Carrots, we'll be there in five minutes. Wake up." Judy opened her eyes and blinked them many times to adjust her sight to the bright lights of the cabin. She sat up in her seat and pulled out her phone.

"Huh, perfect timing," she said. Her phone showed the time as 3:03. "Almost time." Her voice sounded excited like she was a kit on Christmas day. It was the little things about her that he loved so much. The way she got when she was excited was one of them.

"How about that…" Nick said in a very unexcited tone. He hadn't intended to sound so down in the dumps, but that was just the way he felt right now, and he had no idea why.

"Oh, cheer up, Nick. We're only going to be here for a little while. Remember, we're leaving tomorrow."

"Oh, I don't care that we're visiting, it's just that I really feel like crap right now."

"What do you mean?" Judy asked.

"I kinda feel like I did last Monday, and it's a bit unsettling."

"Well, just be careful and don't hesitate to let me know if you are feeling any worse."

"Of course, Carrots. I'm so lucky to have you, aren't I?"

Judy gave him a quick one-armed hug. "Of course, Nick. I love you."

"I love you, too." Nick and Judy prepared themselves to leave as the train came to a stop. When the doors opened up, they walked off of the train and into the blistering cold of Bunnyburrow. "Wow. It's really cold here, isn't it?"

"Yeah. You'll get used to it in a little while. It's not as cold as you think, there's just no protection from the wind anymore." Judy scanned the crowd to try and see if her parents were there yet. "Hopefully they are here soon," Judy said.

They sat down on a bench and waited for Judy's parents to arrive. Nick grabbed his phone from his pocket and unlocked it. He only had 15% left and wanted to conserve it, so he put his phone back in his pocket. Minutes passed and Nick was starting to become chilled. The temperature had dropped down so low that he couldn't stop shaking from the cold. Just as he thought he was going to die from hypothermia, Judy looked up and saw her parents drive up in an old farm truck. He recognized it as the truck that Judy had picked him up in when they solved the Nighthowler case. Judy stood up and ran towards the truck, hugging her parents. Nick got up after her and gulped.

He walked over to the truck, Judy's parents shifting their gaze to Nick. Nick cleared his throat and began to speak.


	5. No Words Can Describe

Much to the contrary of the last visit, Nick knew exactly what to expect. He knew most of the rabbits there and not once did he feel any sort of hatred directed towards him. It was just as Judy figured it would be, relaxing. As they boarded the train, Nick actually felt like he wasn't ready to go back home. It was about six o'clock in the evening and the sun was just beginning to fall below the horizon. The air was cool, but not bitterly cold like it had been when they arrived.

The train lurched forward, causing Nick and Judy to both move a little in their seats, then the gentle sensation of acceleration took over. Now that Judy's parents were more acquainted with him, Nick was able to really appreciate who they were. They were the definition of the perfect couple. He had the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with them, and Nick thought more about how well they got along with each other, despite being married for many years. Nick pondered the visit and how his expectations had been completely blown out of the water, and he was now thinking about when they could go back.

"We'll have to go back soon." Judy looked at Nick with surprise in her eyes.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Nick. I still can't believe that everyone got along with you so well." Judy was incredibly relieved that the visit had been a success as well. She didn't think there would be any issues, but even she was still skeptical of how her family would act around Nick, especially since some of them hadn't met Nick the first time.

The train ride seemed to go much faster than it did going to the burrows. The countryside slowly became more and more filled with houses until the city came into view. As they traveled further into the metropolis, Judy was reminded once again of her first time coming to the city. It seemed like it was ages ago that she had no idea what to expect from the city she had come to call home.

The train went through the various districts of the city, finally leading to the city center and came to a stop at the station. Nick and Judy grabbed all of their luggage and walked off of the train. They went up the large escalator to the upper portion of the train station where Nick flagged down a taxi and they both climbed in. Nick told the driver where to go and he took off. Even though the visit had been relaxing, he still wasn't caught up on his meaningful sleep. He yawned several times on his way home.

While the countryside was a nice change of pace for Nick, he saw comfort in the bustling city scene he had returned to, in particular, what he would need to say tomorrow morning. He had kept everyone at the precinct in the dark about his condition since he found out, and he felt a bit bad for not speaking to them for so long, but he was sure they would understand. He had gone through a lot in the last three days and it was only going to continue to add up.

The driver pulled up to the front of their apartment building. Nick paid the driver and they got out of the taxi, grabbing their bags. The car drove off and Nick and Judy walked to the front door of the large building.

Nick opened the door and allowed Judy in first. They walked up to the fourth floor of the apartment where their room was located. Nick grabbed the keys out of the pocket of his pants and unlocked the door. He opened it and walked in, welcomed by the sight of his own place. It was only nine o'clock, but he was feeling like he hadn't slept in days. That was how he had begun to feel pretty much all of the time, though. He didn't know for sure what was causing it, but he could make a pretty good guess. Nick walked into the bedroom and set his bag on the floor. He poked at some buttons to set the alarm on his clock, then he fell onto the bed. He felt sleep begin to overtake him but was quickly reawoken by Judy.

"Nick. Are you really going to bed?" she queried.

"Yes. I'm a tired foxy," he said, not even bothering to look at Judy or open his mouth very much.

"Did my family wear you out that much?"

"I think so. I'll be wanting to go to bed, though. I've got a big day tomorrow." Judy thought about what he had said. The thought had completely slipped her mind while they were in Bunnyburrow.

"I completely forgot about that…." she said. "I guess you could use as much rest as possible." Nick crawled all the way into the bed and pulled the covers over him, not even bothering to take his clothes off. Judy walked out into the living room and sat down on the couch. She thought about the visit, and about her parents. She really admired them for what they represented, a healthy marriage. It was something that she didn't see too often in the city.

A strong marriage.

The thought popped into Judy's head every so often, but now she shook off the idea entirely. A week ago, she would have thought that marriage would have been in their future, but not at a time like this. Deep in thought, Judy's eyes slowly began to close. Blackness engulfed her thoughts for a split second.

When she opened her eyes, she felt dazed and confused. She looked to the left and right, her eyes set on the small display of a digital clock, reading 12:03. She had fallen asleep on the couch. Judy decided to get up and sleep the rest of the night in her bed, next to the tired foxy, as he so adorably put it. She crawled gently into the bed as to not wake Nick. As soon as she'd gotten into bed, her eyes were closed and the blackness was welcomed once again.

Nick awoke with a start, his alarm blaring and his head pounding. He reached for the small digital clock and hit his fist on top to shut off the alarm. He got up as soon as the alarm was off and began his morning routine, starting with waking up Judy. Surprisingly, she was the one who was slow today, even though Mondays were Nick's least favorite days. He walked around to the other side of the bed and poked at her shoulder. Nothing. She shifted slightly at his touch but continued on sleeping. This caused Nick to go to extreme measures. He took his paw and placed it on her face, covering all of her features and shook side to side. A violet orb appeared between Nick's fingers and Judy quickly threw her paws at his to get it off of her face. She sat up in bed, breathing heavily, and glared at Nick. He did not reply with words, only a sly grin on his face.

"I thought you hated Mondays," Judy said.

"I still do. That's never going to change. But that doesn't mean I can't have a little fun." Nick walked out of the room and into the bathroom, leaving Judy to brood about Nick's unconventional methods of waking her up. The door closed and soon enough the sound of running water came through the closed door. Judy got up and laid out her uniform. She walked out into the kitchen and began brewing a pot of coffee. She got out two identical thermoses and set them next to the coffee machine.

The sound of running water stopped and soon Nick walked out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel. She took the opportunity and got in the shower herself. Nick walked into the bedroom in his towel. He laid out his uniform and dropped the towel. Nick got dressed for the day, taking care to look his best. He always took pride in how he looked in his uniform. After checking to make sure there wasn't a wrinkle anywhere to be seen, he walked out into the kitchen, catching a whiff of the freshly brewed coffee. He grabbed one of the thermoses that were so conveniently placed right next to the machine and filled it to the top. He took a careful sip of the steamy liquid and let out a sigh of satisfaction.

Straight black. Just the way he liked it.

Nick walked out to the living room and sat down, coffee in paw. The sound of water running stopped and then the door to the bathroom opened. Judy walked into the bedroom and shut the door behind her. Nick figured that he should probably grab a heavier coat for this morning, as it was still quite cold outside. He walked to the bedroom and turned the handle on the door.

"Nick! I'm still naked in here!" Judy screamed from the other side of the door. He quickly shut the door and let go of the handle. He walked away from the door and stood around for another few minutes. He knocked on the door a couple of times, but he got no reply. The door opened up and Judy stood, looking at Nick. "What do you want?" she said irritably.

"I just needed to grab my coat," he said.

"Oh… ok.' she replied, realizing that she had overreacted. Nick walked into the room and grabbed his heavier coat from the closet. He turned the light off in the room and shut the door. Judy was standing next to the door, coffee in hand, and tapping her foot slightly.

"Ready to go, Carrots?" Nick asked.

"I've been waiting for a whole 38 seconds. What's taking you so long, Wilde?" she joked. Nick opened the door of the apartment and they both walked out. He shut the door and twisted the key to lock it. The commute to the precinct was filled with nothing but silence and the occasional look at each other. Nick had been deep in thought throughout the entire walk to the station and the ride to the precinct, considering what he should say to everyone. The thoughts of how they would react stayed in his mind as they exited the subway and walked up to the doors of the precinct.

Clawhauser was situated at the front desk, not really paying attention to the large space around him like he should be. Nick and Judy walked by the desk and Clawhauser looked up for a split second, finally noticing the two walking by him. He said nothing to them as they slipped into the bullpen, out of his view. They took a seat near the front of the room and next to each other. Still, no words had been uttered between the two since they left the apartment. Judy could sense the discontent that was looming over Nick, and she decided that it was best for her to just leave him alone for now. Some of the animals in the room noticed the two enter and stared at them for a while. As they got situated in their seats, the room began to get quieter until the whole bullpen was dead silent. Everyone was now staring at the two, but Judy could tell that all of the stares were mostly directed towards Nick. After a few moments, some of the casual conversation came back, providing a little bit of noise in the background, but the room was still largely silent. Officer Faxon Howlson stood up from the crowd and walked over to Nick and Judy. He stood next to them for a second, looking down to them.

"Welcome back, Wilde. I sure hope everything's alright." Howlson said.

"You'll find out when the chief gets in. I'll say this, I'm not too excited to deliver the news." Nick replied. Faxon gave back a slightly disturbed but reassuring look and walked back to his seat. Just as he sat down, Chief Bogo walked in the door and everyone stood up. He walked over to the podium and set down a small file folder. He put on his glasses and cleared his throat.

"Everybody sit!" he commanded. Without question, everybody sat down in unison. "We have a few things to take care of before assignments. I would first like to welcome Officer Wilde back from his leave. Is there anything you would like to say to the lot of us?" Nick swallowed as he stood up. His paws were shaking and he felt the room get warmer and warmer.

"Uh… yes. I do." Nick felt the entire room staring at him, and he could even hear some hearts thumping in anticipation. It was obvious that everyone was eager to hear the news, but he knew their attitudes would change when they actually heard it.

"On Friday… I was diagnosed with terminal cancer. It's also likely that I won't live past 2019. They only gave me two months…" Silence reigned supreme in the bullpen those few moments after Nick finished delivering the news. He looked around the room and saw nothing but blank expressions. It was bad news, but nobody really knew how to react to it.

Bogo had no change of emotion on his face, but the way he continued with announcements told everyone that he was not liking the news. Bogo went on to give out assignments. He read off several names, the corresponding officers stood up and left the room to complete their tasks for the day.

"Hopps, Wilde. My office," Bogo said. "Dismissed!" Nick and Judy looked at each other, confused. They both wondered what he would want to say to them. They got out of their chairs and began walking up to Bogo's office, receiving sympathetic looks from other officers as they exited the room. Walking up the stairs to Bogo's office, both of them were silent. Nick saw Bogo standing outside his office and he gestured to the much smaller animals to walk in and have a seat. Bogo closed the door behind him and he sat down at his desk.

"Hopps, Wilde. Never in my time as chief have I been made speechless so much. The first time that happened was after you solved the missing mammal cases," he said as he gestured to Judy. "Now, I once again don't know what to say. No words can describe how I feel, but there are some things we need to discuss, specifically with you, Wilde. I need to know what you are going to do about your duties in time." Nick was confused by the question.

"Do you mean you want to know when my last day will be?" Nick asked.

"That is precisely what I want to know. Surely you won't be fit to perform your duties in perhaps a few weeks, though it pains me to say that." Bogo replied.

"Unfortunately, I don't know when that will be. I still don't know how this will affect my body, my strength, or anything really, so making a prediction on that will not be possible, sir."

"Very well. I just want to make sure you are not putting yourself through too much stress."

"I appreciate the concern, sir, but I'm as unsure as you are," Nick said.

"We'll just have to take things as they come. As for your assignment, I'll propose something for you. Howlson and Gilmore are working on a case involving a string of armed robberies that are most likely related. Think you could give them some help?" Bogo asked. It had been a while since Nick and Judy had been assigned a proper case, and this may be as close as they could get. Nick looked as Judy and she gave him a nod.

"We'll be glad to help," Nick replied.

"Splendid. Go find Howlson and Gilmore. They'll catch you up on everything. Dismissed." Nick and Judy got up and walked out of the office. Nick could tell that Judy was excited about the case, and Nick was feeling a bit giddy as well, though he kept his emotions in check. He had longed for a case to work on for the last few months, but they hadn't been assigned one. They walked out into the large common room of the ZPD, in search of Officer Faxon Howlson. Neither of the two knew Gilmore. The mystery officer was still fairly new. Nick looked around, trying to find the messy fur on top of Howlson's head. Nick spotted him walking into an office and they followed him to the room. They knocked on the door and waited for about 10 seconds before a female cougar answered.

"Can I help you two?" she asked.

"Oh, hi. I'm Officer Hopps. We were told to assist Officer Howlson and Gilmore in a case," Judy replied.

"Well, you've come to the right place. I'm Officer Carley Gilmore. I'm Officer Howlson's partner." Nick and Judy walked into the room and gave each other a confused glare. Had they really just assumed Howlson's partner to be male? They both let out a stifled giggle as they realized their mistake. He was sitting at the only computer in the room, looking through his e-mails before beginning. He swiveled around in his chair dramatically with his paws folded. Judy almost burst out laughing at the sight. She would never get used to Fax's sense of humor.

"Welcome," he said very egregiously. His tone changed almost immediately when he realized who else had entered the room. "What are you two doing here?" he said, confused.

"Bogo told us that you needed assistance with a case," Nick said.

"Ok, good. He does listen... that buffalo." Fax stood up from his chair and began pacing around the room "Yes, we need some help. Did he give you any specifics of the case?" He asked.

"Just that it dealt with a string of armed robberies, likely related."

"Well, we've been working on the case since Wednesday, and we've found out quite a bit since then," Fax said.

"We know that they are related to the same mammal of interest. All five robberies have happened to convenience stores and gas stations within a 10-mile radius of each other. We've narrowed down the next target to three possible locations, which is something we can manage a lot more easily than the many we had before. So what needs to happen is we need to take a look at these locations, find a good spot to stay hidden and wait for something to happen," Carley said. Nick and Judy looked at each other and nodded.

"Do you know exactly when the next one will take place?" Judy asked.

"There is no specific time, but they have all occurred every other day. The next one is expected to happen tomorrow night at one of three locations. 4th and Grange, 5th and South Bay Ave, or 6th and Acacia." He said.

"So we are going to have a stakeout at all three of the locations?" Nick asked.

"Precisely. We'll get another pair to assist us so that we have two officers at each target. They're fairly close to each other, so if anything goes haywire, we won't be far." Judy swallowed a lump in her throat when Carley said this. She hated thinking about anything going wrong, even though sometimes it couldn't be avoided.

"Where do you want us to go?" Judy asked.

"You can take 6th and Acacia. It's the least likely to be hit, but it's still an option. Head over there, find a good place to stay, and then you're free for the rest of the day, at least that's what Bogo said. I'll talk to Bogo to get permission for a stakeout, then I'll go check out the other two places with Officer Gilmore," Fax said.

"Perfect. We'll get right on that." With those final words, the group broke into each of their tasks, Nick and Judy leaving the room together. They walked out to the patrol cars and Nick flicked on his aviators, slowing his walking speed as if he were walking to the beat of a song. A smirk appeared on his face as he lagged behind Judy, who was eager to get to work. She stopped and looked back at Nick.

"You look ridiculous." she blurted.

"To you, maybe. But I know that I'm fabulous," he said, all tones of modesty absent from his voice. Judy shook her head.

"Just get in the car," she said impatiently. Nick could sense that she was growing more impatient with every slow step he took, and so he sped up his walking pace and got in the passenger seat of the patrol car. Judy turned the key and the engine roared to life. She threw it into gear and took off, Nick being thrust back into his seat a little bit more than expected.

"Take it easy, Carrots. The engine is still super cold." Judy ignored him and kept driving, staring at the road ahead.

"So we need to go to 6th and Acacia, right?" she asked.

"Yep. Just keep heading down this way for a few miles. It'll be on the right side." Judy nodded in affirmation. The next few minutes were spent in nothing but silence.

Nick went deep into thought, still thinking about the visit to Bunnyburrow. His mind was stuck on Judy's parents. They really were the perfect couple. Nick couldn't shake the thoughts from his head. Marriage. He'd thought about it on a few occasions before, but now he couldn't really get it out.

I can't… couldn't do that to her… Nick thought. He couldn't possibly do that, knowing what was to come. Considering the effect it could have on his performance today, he shook the thoughts off as well as he could and focused on the case.

Judy's mind was in complete disarray, and thoughts were running rampant in her head. Her parents had told her something that made her want Nick more than ever. She wanted him to finally ask her that one simple question, but did Nick want to go through with it? She didn't want to force him, especially if that wasn't what he was looking for in their relationship. She didn't want to be too distant today, so trying her best to focus on the case, she continued driving to their destination.

Judy pulled the patrol car into the parking lot of a strip mall across the road from the small gas station. They had been looking for a good spot to stay the night for about 10 minutes, but nothing on the same side of the street worked. This place gave them a good view of everybody entering and leaving the building, and they were far enough away as not to arouse any suspicion.

"This seems like the spot to me."

"I think you're right," Judy replied. "We'll head back to the station, finish some things up with Fax and Carley, and then back home to do nothing for the rest of the day.

"I guess we should head back then," Nick said. Without any more words, Judy pulled out of the parking lot and took off in the direction of the ZPD. Several minutes passed in complete silence until Judy spoke.

"This is exciting, isn't it?"

"What?" Nick asked.

"Our first stakeout! I've always wanted to experience one."

"I wouldn't get too excited. All I know is that there is a lot of waiting and doing nothing for hours."

"Well, at least I'll be waiting and doing nothing for hours with you."

"Oh, how dare you try to flatter me, ma'am," he replied, to which Judy swatted at him while she drove, being sure to keep her eyes on the road. He always knew what to say to make her feel strange but in a good way. It was part of the reason they were together in the first place. He just made her feel good inside.

Judy began to feel her ears turn red. Nick could tell that she was embarrassed. He looked out the window, watching the buildings and other mammals go by. Before he knew it, they had pulled up to the ZPD headquarters. Judy pulled the car into its spot and she turned it off. They both hopped out of the car and walked inside, trying to find Howlson.

"Hey, Clawhauser!" Nick shouted. Ben looked up from his phone and tried to find out where he heard his name being called from. "Right here, buddy!" Nick said. Clawhauser looked at Nick and smiled, but it quickly turned into a half frown.

"What's up?" Clawhauser asked.

"Have you seen Howlson anywhere?"

"Not since he left earlier this morning. I would think he's still out and about." Nick looked slightly disappointed. He had hoped they would have been back by now.

"Ok, well when he gets back could you tell him to meet us back in room A113?" Nick asked.

"Sure thing, Nick," Clawhauser said, sounding like someone had stolen a box of his donuts.

"What's goin' on, buddy?" Judy asked. She could tell that something was bothering him.

"Oh, I heard about what happened this morning." Nick looked at Ben, concerned for the cheetah.

"Listen, Ben. I don't want you to feel bad for me. I'm doing just fine right now. You gotta live in the moment every once in awhile and not think too much about the future. Put a smile on your face. This place feels dark and dreary without it." Nick said, hoping to cheer him up. Clawhauser's face quickly lit up into that full face grin he got when he was extra excited.

"No problem, Nick!" he replied.

"Awesome. Have a good rest of your day," Nick said as he waved goodbye. Nick had a smirk appear on his face while they walked to the office space they were in earlier that morning. Nick opened the door and allowed Judy in first. He walked in after her and closed the door.

The next few minutes were spent sitting in complete silence as they eagerly awaited Howlson and Gilmore's return. Nick sat in the same swivel chair that Howlson was in earlier, and Judy sat in one of the chairs at the small meeting table, both of them twiddling their fingers, waiting for their return. After about five minutes of waiting a knock sounded at the door. Judy stood up and opened it, revealing Howlson, followed by Gilmore.

"Hello, hello. I hope your trip was a success," Howlson said.

"Sure was. Why? Was your trip not a success?" Judy asked.

"No, everything went great. We found spots to set up, we got the ok from Bogo for the stakeout tomorrow night, and we got Higgins and Jones to take the third location," he replied.

"And before you go, we need to go over the plan for the stakeout." Carley said "You'll meet here in this room by eight o'clock tomorrow night. There we'll confirm locations and get three unmarked patrol cars, that way if we make an arrest, we'll be prepared."

"We better be making an arrest tomorrow," Howlson said somewhat annoyed. "I'll be damned if we don't get this guy." Carley gave Faxon a dirty look after he interrupted her.

"As I was saying, you'll be in the unmarked cars. Be in position no later than eight thirty. Then we wait. Also, don't be afraid to let us or team Higgins/Jones know if you have any suspicious activity."

"Gotcha. Eight o'clock, meet here. In position before eight-thirty," Nick said.

"Ok. You're free to go do nothing the rest of the day... after you go up to Bogo's office. He said he wanted to talk to you, Judy, and he didn't seem to happy about it," Faxon said. Judy's eyes widened. She had no idea what he could want, or what this meant to her. Her heart rate increased and her breathing became heavier. A smile appeared on the wolf's face and he started giggling a little bit. Judy's ears turned a bright red.

"I got you good!" he yelled. "In all seriousness, you can go." Judy walked by and shot him a deadly glare.

"That wasn't very professional, Officer Howlson. I might just have to bring this up with the Chief. Misconduct behind the doors of the ZPD is still misconduct." Judy said, trying as hard as she could to keep a straight face.

"Woah, it was a joke, Hopps. No need to be so serious." Howlson said, his mood changing almost instantly.

"Gotcha, Fax," Judy said, giving him a pat on the arm as she walked out of the room. Realising what just happened, he stared at the wall opposite him, mouth hanging open slightly. Carley stood next to Faxon, holding her paws over her face, barely suppressing laughter. Nick walked out after Judy and whispered in his ear.

"You just got hustled, bro."

The sight of their apartment welcomed Judy with open arms. Despite it only being a little past ten, she was feeling very tired. Sleep did not come easily last night after she fell asleep on the couch, and a restless night followed.

"I think I'm going to take a nap…" she said while yawning.

"I'm not going to stop you," Nick said. He plopped down on the couch and pulled out his phone. "But that actually sounds like a good idea."

"I'll be in the bedroom if you need me." She walked into the bedroom and shut the door. Nick spaced out, staring at the screen of his phone for minutes until it automatically shut off, breaking him from his trance. He had sat in the same spot, not moving for the last ten minutes. Nick got up and opened the door to the bedroom quietly.

He peeked inside, making sure that Judy was actually asleep. He saw the rising and falling of her breathing in the sheets on the bed. He shut the door as quietly as he'd opened it and walked into the kitchen, found a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled something on it. Nick walked out the door and down the stairs, out of the apartment building.

Judy woke to the sound of the front door closing. She got up, still groggy from the little sleep she had managed since they got home. She opened the door and looked out into the hall. Everything was dead quiet. She went into the living room, which was missing a certain fox. Confused, Judy continued her search for Nick. She went into the kitchen and saw a note laying on the counter, on it was Nick's scribbly penmanship. The red ink read, "I'll be back in a bit. I need to take care of something." She set the note back on the counter, and walked back to the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She climbed into the bed, pulled the covers back over her, and once again she was fast asleep.


	6. Love Can Kill

_The sights and sounds of the scene around them were almost entirely phased out. Amidst the blue and red flashing lights, her terrified form looked directly into his soul. She stared at his shoulder and the blood that currently flowed slowly through his fur. She stared at his paws, which were covered with the red liquid. He stared at her, thinking that this was probably not the best time, but he didn't care. He wiped his paws on his uniform; it was already ruined from earlier._

_He didn't have a choice. It was now or never._

_Nick fell to his knee…_

* * *

For the second time, Judy was woken up by the sound of the door being shut. She grabbed her phone, seeing that she had only been asleep for about 45 minutes. She got out of bed and opened the door, seeing Nick walk into the living room. She walked around the corner and saw him sit down on the couch, clearly out of breath from walking up the stairs.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Nick jumped a little at the sound of her voice.

"Oh, I… uh. I was just out, running an errand…" he said. It wasn't a blatant lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth either. Judy rolled her eyes.

"Ok." She didn't press the issue, but she found it a little strange that Nick would be hiding something from her.

"What do you want to do for the rest of the day?" he asked.

"Well, I really wanted to take a nap, and I still plan on that. So how about I do that then we can get something to eat? I was thinking that cafe that's near the station that we really like."

"I suppose that sounds good. And how about a movie marathon when we get done with that? Watch movies until our eyes dry up?" A smile appeared on Judy's face.

"I like the way you think, fox. I've got plenty to watch. Let's make it happen." With that, she left the living room and went back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Nick let out a sigh of relief. He didn't think she would be awake when he came home, so it was a bit of surprise when she came out into the living room.

Nick didn't feel tired, so he decided to just sit on the couch for a while and think. He'd been doing it a lot recently because he had a lot to think about. Every so often, Nick found himself up at night, unable to fall asleep and just thinking about how much of a turn his life had taken in the last week. At times his thinking was painful because he knew that no matter what he did with his remaining time it was all going to end the same way.

Nick didn't realize it, but he'd been staring at the bulge in his pocket for almost an hour, thinking about life and what it meant to truly be alive. It never crossed his mind before, but now that he knew it would be over soon he started to feel the desire to know the answer to that question. He didn't know it now, but he knew that one day he would understand. A sudden growl from his stomach told him it was time to get off of the couch and do anything else. He felt the outside of his pocket, wondering when the best time to show Judy what he bought. He didn't know, but he figured he would when the time came.

Nick removed the item from his pocket and walked into the kitchen. Opening the highest cupboard, he placed it inside for temporary safekeeping. He didn't want to have it on himself for fear that she would ask what it was, or that he might end up losing it.

After stowing away his recent purchase, Nick quietly opened the door to their bedroom and looked at his sleeping bunny. He crept up to her and gently shook her shoulder.

"Carrots. It's almost one o'clock. We should go eat." Judy's eyes popped open and she blinked a few times in rapid succession to adjust them to the light of the afternoon.

"How long have I been asleep?" she said in a quiet, raspy voice.

"Plenty for a nap. Time to get up," Nick said, starting to shake her more vigorously. She started giggling and shoved his paws away from her.

"Alright, alright, I'm up!" she said, pushing the covers off of herself and getting out of bed. She walked into the bathroom and quickly combed all of her fur which was sticking out at all sorts of angles.

"Ready to go?" she asked, walking out of the bathroom.

"Yup," Nick said, and they walked out of the apartment.

* * *

"I've got the potato chowder?" the waitress asked.

"That's me," Nick said as he held up his paw. The female gazelle set the steaming bowl of chowder on the table in front of Nick and he stared at it, awaiting his first, likely painful bite.

"And the broccoli and cheese?"

"Right here," Judy said, and the bowl was also placed in front of her.

"Can I get you two anything else now?" she asked.

"Nope. I think we're good for now." The waitress left the table and Nick grabbed his spoon and scooped up the chowder, examined the spoonful, gave it a little blow to try and cool it off, then took a bite, instantly blowing and puffing and waving his paws at his muzzle, the spoon clattering to the table. Judy shook her head at the ridiculous scene he was making.

"Hot… hot… hot…" he panted as his mouth finally cooled down to a tolerable level.

"I know I am, you don't need to go and announce it to the whole restaurant," Judy said, giving Nick a wink as he shook his head with a smile.

"A little bit narcissistic there, don't ya think?"

"Maybe, but I'm pretty sure you agree, am I right?"

"Of course," Nick said as he gathered another spoonful of his chowder, to which he proceeded to enjoy for a split second before he learned once again that it was too hot.

"Don't you think it would be best to wait a little, that way you could enjoy your food?"

"Not at all, Carrots. I think I have this under control," he said as he got yet another spoonful, and blew on it a little longer this time. It was still too hot, but he kept his composure, doing his best to hide his discomfort.

"Ok. you're going to have blisters on your tongue before we leave if you keep doing that." She grabbed the bowl and pulled it closer to her so that he wouldn't be tempted to take another bite before it was cool enough. "Now, I know you were excited to go back to Bunnyburrow, so why don't we figure out when we can before the end of the month. If we wait too long it will only keep getting colder."

"How about next weekend? We leave that Friday night and stay until Sunday night."

"What about the weekend after that. We could get Thursday and Friday off so we could have Thanksgiving there." Judy said. Nick began pondering whether that would be better.

"You know what. I think that would work much, much better. The only issue would be to get Chief to give us the time off."

"I think he'd be fine with that," she said.

"Then it's settled. Now can I have my food back?" Nick said, reaching for the bowl. They sat in silence as they finished their food. Every once in awhile, Nick looked up at Judy but quickly went back to scooping the chowder into his face, letting out quiet moans of satisfaction. When they were finished, the waitress took their bowls and gave them the bill. Judy reached for the check, but Nick got to it first.

"I don't think so, Carrots. I'm getting this one," he said as he slipped his card into the folder and set it on the edge of the table.

"You know I always get dinner." Judy pouted.

"Yeah, but maybe I still believe in chivalry, unlike some others. And besides, we pretty much share our money. I don't think it matters who put the card in the little folder."

"Oh, what a gentle-mammal. I'm so flattered," she said sarcastically. Nick smiled at her, admiring the way she made fun of him. The waitress grabbed the small, black folder and soon enough was back with Nick's card. The two got up from the table and walked out into the cool air. Back at the apartment, they walked up the stairs and over to their room. Nick grabbed the keys and unlocked the door, letting Judy in first. Nick shut the door behind him.

"What do you want to begin with?" Nick asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"The movies. What movie do you want to begin with?" Nick said.

"Oh. Yeah. I kinda forgot about that. Let's just start from the top of the pile."

"The pile?" Nick looked at where Judy was standing and saw a stack of DVD cases that was almost as tall as she was, including her ears. "I suppose if you can reach the top." Nick joked.

"Oh, hush. Let's just get this started." Judy grabbed the first movie from the top, put it in the DVD player and sat back on the couch, snuggled up next to Nick. He put his arm around her and she rested her head against his rising and falling chest.

* * *

"Nick, it's 7:30. We need to get going," Judy yelled from outside the bedroom.

"I know. I know. Just give me a second." Judy waited for another few minutes. Her foot began thumping as she grew more and more impatient. She knocked on the door again.

"Nick! Let's go! I don't want to be late!" she yelled. Right as she yelled, the door opened and Nick popped out of the room.

"Let's calm down a bit, Carrots. We're going to be fine. We have 25 minutes to get to the station."

"I know. I just really don't want to be late. I'm a little excited."

"Yeah, so am I, but let's try to stay professional. This is kind of a serious matter."

"Ok. Ok. The game face has been put on. Let's make the world a better place."

"That's the spirit, Carrots. Let's do this," Nick said, placing his paws on his hips and arbitrarily looking off into the distance, which was actually a wall of the apartment.

"You are seriously a moron, you know that?" Judy said sarcastically.

"I know, but I know you still love me."

"Sometimes I hate that I love you, but I still love you all the same," Judy joked. They walked out the door and outside into the cool evening air. The sun had already set and the city was in twilight, only a small part of the sky dimly lit by the sun. The sky was incredibly clear and many stars were beginning to become visible, despite the bright lights of the city. Nick's breath was barely visible in the cold, but he was not phased by it as he had a heavy coat on over his uniform.

The walk to the subway station was silent, both of them thinking about the events of the night. They walked side by side, not speaking to each other, letting their arms swing freely at their sides. They entered the subway, and sat down next to each other, looking around at the other mammals on board. They began accelerating and felt the force push them to the side a little.

When they arrived at the ZPD, they walked inside and went straight for room A113, eager to begin their night.

"Glad you could join us, Hopps and Wilde," Howlson said as they walked inside, only a couple of minutes behind schedule. "Well, now that all parties are here, let's begin a quick briefing. We're looking for a mammal with white fur, and about five feet tall. The mammal should have dark clothing on, and likely will have something covering the facial regions. Stay alert, stay sharp. Let's do this." After Howlson gave his briefing, Officer Gilmore reminded everyone of where they were to go.

"Once again, Hopps and Wilde go to 6th and Acacia. Higgins and Jones to 5th and South Bay Avenue. Howlson and I will take 4th and Grange. Let everyone know when you get into position. Keep quiet and leave motion to a minimum. We don't want to give ourselves away. And a word from the chief: Absolutely no napping. He told everyone to bring coffee, energy drinks, a bucket of cold water, anything to keep us awake and alert. This could take a while."

After her words, they all left the room and went to the garage. Each team got into an unmarked vehicle. Judy hopped into the passenger seat and allowed Nick to drive. He turned the key and flicked on the lights. He put the car in first and took off. Remaining silent for the entirety of the drive, both of them had to mentally prepare themselves for a possibly uneventful night. It was most likely that they would be support. Their location was deemed least likely to be hit.

When they pulled into the parking lot across the street, Nick turned off the car and grabbed the radio holstered in the center of the vehicle.

"Ghostrider, this is Foxtrot. We're in position, over."

" _10-4, Foxtrot. Keep a close eye out for anything suspicious. Report everything deemed necessary, either to us or Charlie or both, over,"_  Howlson's voice said over the radio. Judy grabbed her large thermos of coffee and took a sip of the steamy, black liquid. They had packed two 24 ounce thermoses and filled them to the brim with coffee for tonight, as they would need to stay awake for a while. They had also layered up with clothing as they couldn't keep the car running to use the heater.

Nick had brought his binoculars with and he was looking over at the gas station's front door, examining the mammals entering and leaving.

" _Foxtrot, this is Charlie. We are in position, over,"_  the voice said. Judy grabbed the radio.

"10-4, Charlie, we're just waiting on Ghostrider to be in position. They'll let us know when they are, over." Judy put the mic back in the holster on the dash of the car.

"Now do you know what I meant when I said that stakeouts are really boring?" Nick asked.

"So far, it's not too bad, but I'm sure that'll change in about an hour," Judy replied. They were silent for just a few moments before Nick spoke again.

"What do you think of Carley?" Nick asked.

"What do you mean? Do you not like her?" she replied.

"I don't know. There's something odd about her, that she seems to have much more experience than she does. You know how fresh out of the academy she is."

"I know. You really don't expect her to be the way she is."

"How so?" Nick asked.

"Well, she definitely isn't from around here. That accent is unlike anything I'd ever heard, except for in the movies maybe."

"Howlson is a rule enforcer when he's not goofing around himself, so I can kinda see that she may have picked up a few things from working with him." Nick was about to say something, but he was interrupted by the radio.

" _Foxtrot, this is Ghostrider. We are in position. That's all units, over,"_  Carley's voice said.

"10-4, Ghostrider. Let's get this scumbag."

" _Hoorah, Wilde,"_ she said. Nick raised an eyebrow when she said this.

"Gilmore, let me ask you a question. What did you do before this? Over." Nick asked.

" _I was in the military. I was stationed overseas twice and I got a lot of battle-time out there. Why do you ask? Over."_  Nick and Judy looked at each other.

"That explains a lot. I noticed you seemed to be very acquainted with things like this, over."

" _I've gotten that a lot. This is a little safer than being on the front line, over."_  Nick looked at Judy.

"I guess that clears things up…" Nick said. They both sat in silence, occasionally taking a sip from the large thermoses. This was going to take some time.

* * *

It was nearly three hours of nothing but sitting and watching. The time seemed to crawl while they hoped for something to happen, but each passing minute Judy's patience grew thinner, the amount of coffee in her thermos became less and less, and her eyelids got closer and closer to closing all the way.

As Nick began to feel just as tired as Judy did, some motion at the gas station caught their attention. A sedan pulled up to the front entrance and a single mammal got out of the driver's seat. Nick, using his binoculars, could tell that this was the guy they were looking for.

"We've got a mammal with white fur and dressed in all black at 6th and Acacia. Ski mask covering the face. We're going to move in, over."

" _10-4, Foxtrot. Keep us posted. We are heading over right now."_  Nick and Judy both got out of the car, the cold air nipping at their ears. Nick and Judy crossed the street and walked over to the pumps, being careful not to be seen by the perp, who Nick thought was a male wolf. Nick looked through the window, seeing the wolf pointing a handgun at the clerk, who was rushing to put all of the money in the store into a bag. Nick looked at Judy.

"He's got a gun, Carrots. We need to be careful," he said.

"You think I don't know that?!" Judy said. As she said this, she heard two shots go off. Everyone in the station ducked down and the mammal walked over to the front door, putting a chain on the handles and locking them together. They had not been seen.

"Attention all units. Shots fired. We've got hostages inside the store. We need some backup." Nick said on the radio by his shoulder. Nick and Judy both pulled out their firearms and made sure that they were ready in case they needed to use them.

" _Copy that, Foxtrot. Backup is en route, over."_ the voice on the radio said. Nick motioned with his paw to move over to the wall of the store. They ran across the tarmac by the car. As they passed the car, the mammal inside saw them running and fired twice, shattering the glass of the door and hitting the car he had driven here. Nick dove to cover just barely dodging the bullets. As they took cover, Nick could hear sirens approaching the building. Blue and red lights came into view and four patrol cars came barreling into the lot of the gas station. Eight officers exited the cars and drew their weapons. Nick and Judy waved over to the officers to get their attention. Higgins and Jones ran over to them.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Higgins asked.

"Whoever's doing this is in there with an unknown number of hostages, and there might be a casualty. We heard two shots go off that were directed inside the store." Nick said.

"Alright, well get back to the cars. It's much safer over there," he said. They ran back across to take cover behind the cars. As they got to cover, the mammal had removed his mask and held a young badger in one of his arms, holding the handgun up to her head. Through the shattered glass of the door, the timberwolf yelled out to the crowd of officers.

"You shoot, the badger gets it! Don't even think about it!"

"Let her go! This won't end well for you either way!" Nick yelled back.

"You are going to let me go, and you won't chase after me! Ya hear that, fox!?"

"Ain't gonna happen, scumbag! Put the badger down and everything will go much smoother!" The wolf walked away from the door and out of the view of the officers. After about a minute, the wolf came back to the door with the same badger. He grabbed the lock on the door and shot it, removing the chain from the door. After he removed the chain, six mammals ran from the confines of the store and to the police.

"Come and get me!" the wolf yelled as he ran back into the store. He knew he was done for, but he apparently didn't care to give them an easy time catching him.

Nick, Higgins, and Howlson all began slowly walking up to the doors, pistols drawn and ready. They opened the door and walked inside. Nick moved to the left, towards the counter where he could hear some heavy and distressed breathing. He looked over the counter to see the clerk, lying on the floor, paw pressing on his abdomen. The older cheetah had been shot and was now in great danger of bleeding out. Nick hopped over the counter and knelt down by him.

"You're going to be alright sir. Just keep the pressure on the wound." Nick spoke into his radio. "We need to get an ambulance, the clerk has a bullet wound in the abdomen, heavy bleeding." Nick grabbed a bandage that he had with him and showed it to the cheetah.

"I'll wrap this around the wound. Be sure to keep the pressure on it." The cheetah nodded quickly and Nick wrapped the bandage around the wound, getting a little blood on his paws in the process. Nick stood up and looked around, seeing Howlson and Higgins still searching the relatively large store.

From the opposite corner of the store, the wolf jumped up, firing off an entire magazine of bullets. Before they could react, Higgins was hit in the shoulder, and he fell to the ground. Nick quickly fired three shots, however, none of them were with any particular aim due to him crouching behind a display for cover. His ears did catch the sound of a bullet smacking meat. He definitely hit the timberwolf.

Listening for any sort of movement, Nick deduced that he could come out of his cover. He walked past Higgins, who was currently being tended to by Howlson. Nick weaved through the aisles until he made it to the opposite side of the store where the wolf lay on the ground. A pool of blood surrounded his body, and it all came from a single hole at the base of his neck. Nick knelt down and grabbed his wrist to feel for a pulse. He felt nothing.

"He's down. We got him," he said into the radio, albeit a little reluctantly. A small frown began to appear on his face. Nick looked at his left arm, the sleeve of his shirt was drenched in blood. He felt his shoulder and found a hole with his fingers. He removed his paw from the wound and saw that it was covered with blood.

EMT's walked into the store and found the store clerk who was still behind the counter. Some went to Higgins, who had been bandaged up and taken out of the store. When two EMT's made it to Nick, he had been standing, staring at the wolf laying lifeless before his feet. They helped Nick out of the store and brought him to an ambulance, where they treated the wound on his shoulder. The lights of the cars seemed brighter than usual and nearly blinded him when he looked up. Nick looked over at the entrance of the store, seeing a team of medics carrying a gurney with a covered body on it.

Nick couldn't help but quickly look away. His thoughts were racing and he felt like he was completely alone. He had just killed another mammal. He couldn't help but feel guilty, even though he knew that it was for the good of the city; for the safety of everyone else who lived in Zootopia.

The EMT's brought Nick over to one of the ambulances where they sat him down, took off his shirt and began preparing the bullet wound for stitches. They cleaned it with alcohol, which burned really badly, but he managed. They stitched the wound up and wrapped it in a white bandage so that it wouldn't catch on any of his clothes. Shirtless, he stood up and walked over to Howlson's patrol car where Judy was. She got out of the car and looked at him.

"Doing alright?" she asked.

"I don't know. I was shot, I killed someone, and the strangest thing happened with the store clerk. I knelt down by him, and he looked at me. He didn't know if he was going to live or die tonight. I think I saved him. Any longer and he would have probably bled out. But yet, I still don't know how I feel…"

"It's alright, Nick. That got pretty intense in there. Are you sure you're fine?"

"I think I am. It might have just been the blood loss talking, but I think I'm alright now. I'll be ok."

"Good. Just let me know if you're feeling any worse and I can someone to help you," Judy said, giving him a gentle side hug on his good side.

"Thanks, Judy. You're always there for me." Nick knew what he had to do next. "...Which brings me to my next point." After nearly dying and knowing what it was like to have his whole life flash before his eyes, Nick felt something that he was previously unsure about. When the wolf shot at him several times, he saw plenty of people that he cared for, but they all passed by quickly. He saw Judy, but she lingered in his mind for a lot longer than the others. It was a sign for him.

"And what is that?" Judy asked. The sights and sounds of the scene around them were almost entirely phased out. Amidst the blue and red flashing lights, her terrified form looked directly into his soul. She stared at his shoulder and the blood that currently flowed slowly through his fur. She stared at his paws, which were covered with the red liquid. He stared at her, thinking that this was probably not the best time, but he didn't care. He wiped his paws on his uniform; it was already ruined from earlier.

He didn't have a choice. It was now or never.

Nick fell to his knee and did the one thing he didn't think he'd be doing after the diagnosis. He offered the love of his life a diamond ring.

"Judith Laverne Hopps… I want to be there for you just like you are for me. I want to love you for the rest of my life…. Will you marry me?" Nick said, his voice shaky, partially from blood loss, but mostly because he was doing possibly the stupidest thing he could.

Sure, it was stupid, but nobody ever accused love of being rational.

"...yes..." she mumbled at first, but as she brought her paws away from her face, revealing the sweetest smile, she nearly screamed it to the heavens. "Yes! Of course, I will!"

Judy would have said more, but as Nick pulled her into a tight hug, she felt all of the emotions of the last week flow forth and she cried. She cried, but these were tears of joy. After what felt like ages of crying tears of sadness, she finally felt truly happy to the point of tears, and it was more than she could have ever wanted.

The crowd of mammals looked at the two and flashes began emanating from the phones taking pictures. Howlson looked at the two and smiled and he yelled out.

"Looks like we've got a wedding to go to boys!" Both of them stood up when they heard him, looked at each other, and laughed.

* * *

They entered the apartment at 12:30. After the events of the night, Nick and Judy just wanted to go to sleep, but Judy knew that she needed to do something first. She pulled out her phone and dialed the number to her mother's phone. It rang for a few seconds, but then she picked up.

"How's it going sweetheart?" Bonnie said with a tired voice. She clearly did not like being woken up.

"Oh, everything's great. Even though Nick was shot today, everything's good."

"What!? He was shot!?" Judy's mother said in surprise. That woke her up really fast.

"Don't worry. He's fine. See!" Judy turned her phone to show Nick sitting next to her, the bandage going around his left shoulder very visible.

"I've never been better Mrs. Hopps!" Nick said.

"Oh, hi, Nick! Stu, take a look at this! Nick was shot, come see the bandage on his shoulder!" Judy saw her father roll over and look at the phone.

"Holy cripes! Does it hurt?" he asked

"Not right now, but I'm sure it'll be sore in the morning," Nick said.

"Now mom, I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" Bonnie asked.

"Are you doing anything the weekend of Thanksgiving?" Judy asked.

"No, I don't think so."

"Okay, well, I've heard there is going to be a wedding in Bunnyburrow that weekend."

"Okay, well do you know whose wedding it is? Do you want us to go with you guys?" Bonnie hadn't heard of a wedding going on then, so she was a bit confused.

"Yes, I want you to be there!" Judy said.

"Well, who's wedding is it?" Judy looked at Nick and smiled.

"It's our wedding. We're getting married!"


	7. Tying the Knot and Falling Apart

"Huh?" Bonnie said in confusion. Judy's father sat silent, completely awestruck by what he had just heard.

"Yeah. We decided to have it in Bunnyburrow so that way you won't have to travel. Isn't this great?" Judy said with an uncanny amount of excitement for how tired she was.

"Judy, are you sure about this? I don't mean to be rude, but doesn't Nick have a big issue?" she whispered as if Nick was in the other room. But he was right there and could hear every single word she said.

"I don't have an issue with this, and neither does Judy. We decided together. Right?" Nick said and Judy nodded.

"It's what we both want. It's for the best."

"Well, I'm in no position to stop you two from doing what will make you happy. Although I'm curious to know how you'll get this all planned in just two weeks," Bonnie said. She did have a point there. Most weddings take months to plan out.

"We have some ideas, but we'll need a lot of help, partly from you and dad. We already decided on an outdoor ceremony, and the reception can be in the backyard, using the pole barn for shelter." Bonnie looked curiously at Judy.

"What about food and drinks, your dress, Nick's tuxedo, the wedding party and their clothing, the cake, and who is going to preside over the ceremony?" Bonnie said.

"We've got plenty of time, mom. How hard could it be?"

Famous. Last. Words.

* * *

"Nick, I have something for you." It was the morning after the incident on 6th and Acacia. Nick and Judy were both given the day off so that Nick could rest his shoulder, but Judy would have to go back to work tomorrow while Nick had the rest of the week off.

"Whatcha got, Carrots?" Nick said, turning around, being careful not to move his left arm too much.

"This is going to be really silly and cheesy, but now that we're engaged, I suppose you should read it. When I was 17, I experienced my first heartbreak, when my boyfriend broke up with me."

"Wait, you had a boyfriend in highschool?" Nick said with surprise.

"Yeah, and I thought that he was the one, but he turned out to be a complete jerk. And so the night he dumped me, I wrote a letter, to my future husband. I vowed to give it to him before the wedding. Now that you are my future husband, I want you to read it." Judy grabbed the piece of folded, lined paper and handed it to Nick. On it was a full page of Judy's neat, curly writing, written in dark black ink. Nick began to scan the page.

" _Dear future husband, there are a few things that you need to know about your future wife before you begin your lives together. First thing, don't be afraid to ask how her day was. You might just learn a little more about her in the process. Smile more, because she likes to see everybody in a good mood, even when things aren't going quite as planned. Be patient with her, because she isn't one who likes to be rushed. She wants to take her time with things, and make sure that everything is as good as it can be. When she says that she's fine, even though she clearly isn't, don't be afraid to put your arm around her shoulder, just to let her know that everything will work out in the end. Don't get into too many arguments, because she hates confrontation._

_When the tears fall down her face, she really just wants someone to hold her and wipe them away. When she wants something, it's probably best if she gets it, because when she's not satisfied, things just aren't the way they are supposed to be. Little gifts and treasures are the fastest way to cheer her up. That and a kiss on the cheek. Don't hold a grudge with her, because she will never be able to hold one on her future partner for life. Remember that she is always right, even when you both know that to be untrue. Tell her that you love her everyday. Make sure she knows that there is nothing more beautiful than her._

_Never forget: Love is patient, love is kind, love is not jealous, boastful or prideful. It is not rude, and it does not seek only its own interests. Love is not quick-tempered and does not brood over injury. Love does not rejoice over wrongdoing, but only with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."_  Nick looked up at Judy, seeing her blush. She rubbed her arm with the opposite paw and looked down at the floor.

"It's super cheesy, isn't it? I actually haven't read it in about ten years, basically since I wrote it."

"No, Judy... It was nice," he said, completely honest.

"You really think so?" she asked.

"Of course. I wouldn't be saying that if I didn't mean it." Nick welcomed Judy into a hug, and he stroked the fur on top of her head. "I just hope that my future wife knows exactly what she's getting herself into" he chuckled. Judy couldn't help but laugh a little herself.

"I don't think she would be going through with it if she wasn't prepared," Judy replied. Nick changed the subject.

"Now all joking aside, I need to go down to headquarters and talk to Bogo. There's something that I need to clear up with him." Nick said.

"And what's that?" Judy queried.

"I just need to talk to him," Nick said hastily and he quickly got up and left the apartment, leaving Judy all alone, wondering what was going on. Walking out of the building, Nick was pleased to find that it was a fairly warm day, probably in the upper 60's. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. He flicked on his aviator sunglasses and walked to the ZPD.

Nick walked up to the doors of the ZPD headquarters, opening the door for himself. He walked inside and went over to the front desk, getting the attention of Clawhauser.

"Hey, buddy. Chief isn't busy, is he? I need to talk to him." Nick said.

"I'm not sure. Let me check real quick." He spoke into the small microphone on his desk. Nick could faintly hear a reply from Bogo, but he couldn't quite make out the words. "Chief says that he can speak with you."

"Ok, thanks," Nick replied. Nick walked over to the stairs and began his ascent to the upper level of the ZPD headquarters. Nick walked down the corridor a little ways until he made it to Chief Bogo's office. Nick knocked on the frosted glass of the door. From behind the door, Nick heard Bogo welcome him into the office. Nick opened the door and sat onto one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"I thought I told you to stay at home so you could rest that arm of yours," Bogo said coldly.

"I know, sir, but this is really important." Nick pleaded.

"If this has anything to do with your engagement with Officer Hopps, I'll say it right now that I'm not happy with either of you. That breaks multiple codes about relationships between coworkers" Bogo replied. The coldness in his voice remained.

"I understand, sir, but you won't have to worry about that. I'm here because I'm formally resigning my position." Bogo's eyes widened when he heard what Nick said. "I can no longer properly perform the duties that I'm obligated to, sir, and I know that after my arm is healed I'm going to need to be gone even longer to prepare for the wedding. Probably a week, give or take a few days." Bogo was not liking what he was hearing.

"Does Hopps know of your decision to leave the force?" Bogo sighed.

"No, sir. I haven't told her." Nick replied.

"When exactly will your last day be?" Bogo asked.

"I figured that we take things as they come, say I get in a few days before the wedding, then after that, I'll be done."

"Very well. Is that all you wanted to speak to me about?"

"That is all. Oh, just so you know, the wedding is November 30th. You're invited," Nick said, a smirk appearing on his muzzle. With his last words, Bogo glared at him. Nick took the opportunity to get out of his chair and leave before Bogo gave him any sort of punishment. As Nick was shutting the door, Bogo spoke up.

"Wilde. I'll be there." Bogo said, still with a little coldness in his voice. Nick smiled and shut the door.

* * *

"You what?!" Judy screamed. She was not happy with Nick at all, breathing heavily in frustration.

"It's done, Carrots. You and I both know that this is for the best. We wouldn't be allowed to be partners after the wedding anyways. Please try to understand." Judy continued to breathe heavily as she took in the upsetting news. Nick couldn't just… quit like that. He was better than that. She was breathing heavier and faster, and Nick took notice of this.

"Judy, please try to calm down. I'm not done yet. We'll still have a few more days left to work together," Nick said, hoping to calm her down. He hated to see Judy all flustered like this.

"Ok… I just need a minute to take this all in." Judy said, taking in deep breaths and shutting her eyes. Judy sat down on the couch to try and relax. "So you don't have an official 'last day', correct?" Judy asked, her eyes becoming a little teary.

"Yes. I'm still employed with the ZPD, just not for much longer. I told Bogo that I still wanted to work before the wedding, so there's still time." Nick said and he put his paw on Judy's shoulder. She sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"I guess this is probably for the best. Isn't it?" Judy said, looking up into Nick's enchanting green eyes.

"That's right… I'm not very excited about it, but it had to be done." Nick said, pulling Judy into a hug. She began crying even harder, wetting Nick's shirt with her tears.

"I don't want you to go, Nick. I don't want to lose you," she sobbed. Nick started feeling weak. Judy's pain and sorrow were really getting to him. He felt his bottom lip quiver slightly and his eyes grew misty. He stroked her back with his paws, feeling her heart beating quickly.

"I know. I know. Just let it all out. That's it." Judy stopped sobbing and they broke the hug. She looked up, getting lost in Nick's eyes, and slowly a smile began to form on her face. "Now that that's out of the way, I think we deserve some ice cream. What do ya say? It's actually really nice outside." Judy let out a few giggles that replaced her sobs.

"I suppose I can't argue with that." she said.

* * *

_One Week Later…_

Nick had been busy trying to get everything he could in order for the wedding while he was at home alone for the few days following the incident at 6th and Acacia. He'd gotten a lot accomplished, getting tuxes rented for Finnick and Faxon, which were all black except for the shirts, which were navy blue. He'd helped Judy's sister Roseline pick up the dresses for the bridesmaids, which were also navy blue, and he got the cake ordered. Later that day, Judy would ride to Bunnyburrow with Roseline while Nick would take a train. Now he'd been back to work for a couple days, and today was officially his last shift at the ZPD.

Nick walked through the doors of the large building after Judy, taking in all the sights and sounds like it was his first day all over again. He really was going to miss the place. He looked all around, taking in every detail. Nick and Judy had not been assigned anything to make sure they didn't get too deep into a case and have too much work for Judy to finish by herself. They would be doing mindless paperwork all day, but to Judy, nothing could be better than that.

Every once in awhile, she liked to tone things down a bit and just have a good sit-down, taking care of piles and piles of paperwork. Doing that with Nick was something more than just paperwork, it was actually enjoyable. They walked into the large room filled with cubicles and each sat down at their designated desks, which were not too far away from each other, and they got to work.

They had been focused on their work for a few hours before Chief Bogo walked into the room and to Judy's cubicle.

"Hopps, my office now," he said, voice booming in the quiet room. Nick looked up from his work, but soon enough was back to scribbling away with his pencil.

"May I ask why?" Judy said.

"We simply have a few important matters to discuss. Afterward, you and Wilde can take your lunch break," Bogo replied. Judy got up from her chair and followed Bogo to his office. He opened the door and she walked in, seating herself in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"What was it that you wanted to discuss, sir?" she asked.

"This is regarding your partnership with Officer Wilde. Today is his last day, and I would assume that you still want to have a partner after he has officially left. Do you have any preference? If not, I will decide for you." Judy pondered for a moment, thinking about all of the officers that could possibly be a good fit for her. Several came to mind, but only one certain wolf really jumped out at her.

"If at all possible sir, I would like to have Officer Jessie Jackson be my new partner," Judy said with confidence. Bogo looked at Judy with a blank expression. Over the few years, Judy had worked for the ZPD, she had never seen Bogo get too excited over anything.

"Very well. I'll see what I can do. You are free to go," He replied dully.

"Thank you, sir," Judy replied and she exited the office. Walking over to Nick's cubicle, she knocked on the thin wall. His ears moved towards the sound and he looked over at Judy.

"What's up?" Nick asked.

"Ready for lunch?" Nick's eyes lit up at the mention of food.

"It's like you don't even know me, Carrots. I'm always ready for food!"

* * *

Judy took Nick to one of his favorite places; a simple old-style pizza parlor located downtown and only a few blocks from the ZPD. It had been there since probably the 40's and it made the best pizza in the city, in Nick's opinion and in the opinion of one of the world's most famous culinary magazines. The place was ranked as the number one must-try for pizza enthusiasts.

They planned on sitting and eating there, but a mishap with their order caused it to take a lot longer to make than originally planned, so they had to take their food to go. The manager of the dive was generous enough to give it to them for free, which they were very thankful for.

When they brought it back, they decided it would be best if they just ate at their desks, even though Bogo had a ridiculous "no food" policy in the office. They weren't completely sure of the reason, but apparently, it stemmed from a little bit of a prank that ended up getting Bogo covered in spaghetti. It was almost a legend from within the ZPD, but Nick and Judy felt like it was completely true.

When they got back from the pizza place, they brought their to-go boxes with them and began eating the delicious culinary masterpiece. Eventually, Bogo took a stroll through the office and caught Nick first. Nick explained that there was a mistake and their pizza took a lot longer than expected, so he let him off with no punishment.

Right after, Bogo looked over to Judy's cubicle and caught her red-pawed in the middle of a bite. She proceeded to try and bribe him to get out of a punishment but he told her that Nick explained what happened and only gave her a verbal warning.

With five o'clock fast approaching, Judy was racing to get as much done as she could before she left for the day. She was finishing up one last report when she watched the small digital clock on her desk turn from 4:59 to five o'clock. Knowing that her sister was probably already waiting for her to get home from work, Judy quickly filed everything that she needed to and then walked the short distance to Nick's cubicle.

"Ready to go?" Judy asked.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Nick said. They walked down the stairs and out the door of the ZPD. The late afternoon sun was getting lower in the sky and made the air temperature slightly cooler than earlier that afternoon. They had been walking for a while when Nick spoke up, remembering something that he knew Judy was supposed to do that day.

"Weren't you supposed to pick up your dress today?" he said. Stopping in her tracks, Judy's eyes grew incredibly large as she realized her mistake.

"Oh my gosh. I completely forgot!" she said in surprise. "I was going to do that over lunch! Roseline is probably waiting at the apartment right now to pick me up!" Judy turned and looked at Nick. "I'd better run…" Judy said. She took off in the direction of the apartment and Nick watched as she turned the corner.

"Good luck, Carrots," he said to himself. He continued walking until he got to the subway station and got on. The subway made its short journey to Nick's stop and he got off, expecting to have beaten Judy to the building. As he rounded the corner, he saw nobody waiting for Judy, so he figured she had already been picked up. He walked up to the apartment, and when he walked inside, Judy was nowhere to be seen.

"Must already be gone," he said to himself. He plopped onto the couch and sat for a few minutes, thinking about all the things that had happened over the last few weeks, and what was still to come. His train didn't leave for another two hours, so he laid back and closed his eyes, the warmth of sleep taking him over.

When his eyes popped open, he grabbed his phone, seeing that his train left in 40 minutes. He got up and hurriedly grabbed everything he would need for the weekend. Whilst packing everything up, he called a Zuber so that it would be there when he had everything ready. He grabbed the tuxes, his dress blues, and his bag and ran down the stairs. He ran outside just as the Zuber was pulling up to the apartment. He threw his things in the car and he shut the door.

"Zootopia Central Station" Nick said hastily. The driver nodded and took off, sensing that Nick was in a hurry. They made it to the station in record time, leaving five minutes to spare before the train left. The car pulled up to the station and Nick quickly gathered all of his things. He tipped the driver generously and ran down the stairs rather than the escalator. Already possessing his ticket, Nick ran to the train and boarded, finding his seat and finally being able to rest. Panting heavily, Nick pulled out his phone, checking the time.

"Perfect timing," Nick whispered to himself, amidst heavy breaths. Hopefully, everything else went a little better this weekend.

And the train began moving towards Bunnyburrow.

* * *

_A Few Days Later..._

"Judy! Where are you?!" Bonnie shouted. She was running faster than she had ever ran before. Judy was nowhere to be seen and she was supposed to be getting married in 20 minutes. Bonnie ran down endless corridors and looked in various rooms, trying to figure out where that bunny could have gone. Bonnie ran down another corridor, finding Judy's room. She opened the door and ran inside, seeing Judy sitting on her bed in her dress. "Judy, what are you doing?! You're supposed to be down at the vineyard!"

"Mom, I know. We have plenty of time," Judy said. She seemed a little off to her mother. Bonnie sat down next to Judy, putting her paw on her shoulder.

"What's wrong, Judy?" Bonnie asked, concerned for her daughter.

"Nothing, Mom. I'm fine," she said.

"No, you're not. Your ears are droopy. What's the matter?" Judy sighed.

"I don't know. I just feel weird. I might just be nervous, but part of me is saying something else."

"Judy, it's only natural to have these feelings. You should have seen me on my wedding day. I was a complete wreck, and I had your father to thank for that. I woke up that morning and everyone was asking me where he was. Nobody could find him and I thought that he had run off," Bonnie said with a little giggle. "I can promise you that everything is going to turn out ok."

"Still, you don't think this is a little bit weird. You know, because Nick is…"

"A fox?" Bonnie asked, and Judy responded with a nod of her head. "Sweetheart, we couldn't be any happier for you. Nick is a wonderful person and we know how much he loves you. I know it might be strange to some people, but there is nothing weird about love. You love him just like I love your father. Isn't that something to be proud of?" Judy smiled. For the very short two weeks she had been engaged to Nick, she thought over and over again that people thought she was an oddball. While that may actually be the case, it wasn't weird when she looked at the way she felt about Nick. She didn't want anyone else, and that was how it was supposed to be.

"Guess you're right. I don't know what I was thinking. Now, how much time do we have?" Judy asked.

"About 17 minutes." Judy's eyes grew as big as saucers.

"Sweet cheese and crackers, we gotta go!" she said, holding up her dress so she wouldn't trip over it as she ran down the corridors. Bonnie ran out after her, nearly tripping in the process. They got into the truck and Bonnie floored it, pushing Judy back in her seat. They flew down the gravel road towards the vineyard, which was only a few miles from Judy's home. As they approached the building, they started to slow down. The wheels locked up and they slid to a halt. They both ran out of the truck amidst the cloud of dust and into the shelter, being careful not to get their dresses dirty.

Approaching the shelter, Roseline walked towards them with a furrowed brow.

"Where have you been?" Roseline asked, clearly not happy with her sister.

"I'm sorry. I just lost track of time," Judy lied.

"Well, we almost started without you," Roseline said.

* * *

The day of the wedding had turned out beautiful. Nice warm weather, very little wind, and the sun was shining brightly. The vineyard had an area designated for weddings, as it was a very popular place for them in the burrows. Nick was standing with only himself, wearing his dress blues and waiting for the ceremony to start.

He thought it had to be starting soon. Nick looked at the shelter behind all of the others sitting in the chairs, seeing Roseline running about trying to find something. What was she looking for? Nick pondered the thought in his head. He stood around for a few more minutes, eventually seeing a small blue truck screaming down the gravel road in the distance. It grew closer and closer by the second until it slid to a stop by the shelter.

Two rabbits got out of the truck, holding up their dresses as they ran into the shelter. Nick saw Roseline greet the two rabbits, but he couldn't make out their faces from so far away, but he was pretty sure that Judy was one of them based on the white dress.

He stood alone for only a few more moments as the music began playing. The crowd stood up as the members of the bridal party began processing in, first Finnick and Roseline, then Faxon and another one of Judy's sisters… he couldn't quite remember her name, though he thought it was Margaret.

The moment of truth. Next to arrive was Judy, her dress even more amazing than he'd anticipated. She was adamant that he didn't see her in it until this moment, even though he didn't believe in that superstitious stuff.

Being brought in by her father, Nick couldn't resist smiling like a child, nearly laughing out loud because of how amazed he was. Even though it was supposed to be a perfect wedding, in Judy's eyes, Nick stopped holding himself back and covered his mouth with his paws, barely stopping himself from crying. He simply couldn't believe that in a few short moments, she would be his, until death do they part.

Stu handed Judy off to Nick, and the old buck gave Nick a smile and a wink before walking back to his reserved seat in the front row.

Nick knew that he should have been paying attention to the ceremony, but it was a little bit tough because of the beautiful distraction standing in front of him. Plus, she wasn't so keen on doing her part to keep both of them focused.

"Hey, there, Slick," she whispered.

"Why do you do this to me?"

"What?"

"Make me wonder how I got with such a beautiful bunny like you?"

"Don't ask me. I'm the one who had to settle for you."

"Ouch. I don't know if I can go through with this wedding after that."

"Oh, hush. I think we're up next."

Right on cue, the presider asked for them to say their vows.

Nick didn't even know if he remembered much of the last bit of the ceremony. All he could see was Judy. He had never felt this way in his entire life. The feeling of hopelessly in love wasn't one that he was familiar with, but if he was ever certain of it, this was that moment.

Nick wasn't the biggest fan of weddings, but things were sure different when it was his. He never understood why people cried, but when he delivered his vows, he used all of his emotional strength to prevent the tears from falling.

Nick barely remembered exactly what he said for his vows, but all he knew was that they were the truest words he'd ever spoken. There was a reason he was hopelessly in love with Judy. He knew that it was stupid and that it shouldn't have worked, but yet somehow, it worked better than anything he knew. Nick didn't do too many things exceptionally well, but loving Judy was the best thing that he did. Nick didn't even have his vows planned. They simply came from the heart; the things that he knew he would do for her no matter what.

With the rest of the world tuned out, Nick didn't know how he managed to still be a part of the wedding. As if it were programed into his head, Nick spoke the two words that he longed to say for a very long time.

"I do."

Nick always enjoyed the moment leading up to a kiss, but this was perhaps the most interesting and wonderful experience of his life. The lean in, the way she smiled as her eyes closed when they were centimeters apart, the milliseconds before their lips touched, the feeling of warmth as their lips finally collided in bliss. It felt like their first kiss, but the intense emotion behind it was stronger than ever.

The feeling was ineffable. Passion beyond belief surged through his mind, body, and soul. Words would never do their first kiss as a married couple justice, and only one word came close.

Perfect.

They left the altar in harmony, knowing that neither of them would ever leave their side. She had him, and he had her. Two souls no more perfect for each other than what was possible. As they stood in the shelter, Nick finally came back to reality, his ears hearing the sounds of chatter for the first time is what felt like an eternity.

Suddenly they were barraged with hundreds of people congratulating them, which really brought Nick out of his state of pure bliss, something that was not welcome at all. He wanted to feel the way he felt during the ceremony for ever, but he knew that it would never feel the same. But looking to the bunny right beside him, he knew that he was never far away from that feeling.

AS they stood in the receiving line, they greeted the many attendees of the wedding, listening to their words of congratulations, thanking them all in the process. After nearly a half an hour of doing that, the line had come to an end, and the mammal at the very end was none other than Chief Bogo. Nick knew that he invited him and that he would be coming, but it still made him smile when he saw the buffalo.

"Glad you could make it, Chief," Nick said, offering a smile to Bogo. He looked down at the fox, his face still as straight as ever.

"Of course, Wilde. It was a beautiful ceremony. Now, as much as I would love to stay and enjoy the reception, I do need to be getting back. I left DelGato in charge while I was away and Lord knows what kind of city I'll be coming back to. Congratulations, you two. Enjoy the rest of the weekend."

Nick and Judy said their farewells to Chief Bogo and watched him walk towards his car, get in, and drive away. Seeing that there were no more people waiting to congratulate them, Nick and Judy walked paw in paw to a tractor that had a trailer attached to the back, modified to accommodate several mammals. Driven by Stu, the entire wedding party rode back to the Hopps house for the reception. Nick, Judy, Faxon, Finnick, Roseline, and Margaret enjoyed a quick chat while they waited for the slow tractor to deliver them to the reception. They talked about the coming evening and how wonderful it was going to be.

Arriving at Judy's childhood home, they all bailed from the modified trailer and walked into the backyard where Nick was amazed to see the setup.

An incredibly long chain of long tables was set up with mountains of food for every taste and dietary preference. An area specifically set aside for dancing was in the middle of the sea of round tables and chairs which were currently occupied by loads of wedding patrons.

"Wow, Carrots. I don't think I've seen anything like this before. They had this whole thing planned in only a few days?"

"Yeah, they sure know how to throw a party. It helps that they have about 200 extra pairs of paws to help them get it put together."

"I suppose."

Nick and Judy broke away from the rest of the wedding party and headed to the table for them. Sitting in the two middle seats, they took their first real break from everything. The day had come to be incredibly exhausting, and it wasn't even sundown yet. They were both just glad that it was finally time for them to be able to relax.

As they sat and rested their bodies, someone came over and gave them two plates filled with food, each one with everything that they wanted.

"How could they possibly have known what I was hungry for?" Nick asked. He looked at Judy who gave him a shrug of her shoulders.

"I'm just as confused as you are."

"I guess we're the newly-weds, so we get extra special treatment."

Judy could get used to that.

Digging into their food, Nick and Judy were both thinking about the same thing. They looked over the hundreds of people that stayed for the reception. Everyone was so different. Predator, prey, large, small; you name it, they were there. Judy had been to hundreds of weddings in her lifetime, and not once did she see so much diversity at a Bunnyburrow wedding. It was a magnificent sight to behold.

Even amongst all of the differences, there was one thing that they all had in common: Everyone was here to have a good time. Right now, nobody cared about what kind of animal another was. All they cared about was that they had fun and enjoyed the night, celebrating the love between two mammals that embodied what it meant to look past exterior appearance and look deeper inside of them; see who they were as a person.

And on top of that all, no one had even thought to bring up Nick's cancer. Nick didn't think about it, and nor did Judy. It was incredible how easily something so looming could be forgotten about, even if only for a moment. Up until their engagement a short two weeks prior it was all they could think about. While back then she thought getting married would be a terrible idea, knowing what the future held for them, now that it had actually happened she was very glad that they did.

All of the bad things just seemed to disappear.

As Nick and Judy finished their food, Nick leaned back in his chair, rubbing his slightly bulging stomach. Letting out a groan of satisfaction, he turned his head to his wife.

"That was incredible. Since when could your parents cook that well?"

"Since pretty much forever. Did you not even taste the food when we were here a couple of weeks ago?"

"Yeah, but this was, like, mind-blowingly good. Which reminds me, why are you so terrible at cooking when your mother is like a master chef?"

Judy rolled her eyes at her husband, feeling the urge to slap him in the face. "I never wanted to learn how" Judy said honestly. "I usually helped Dad with things on the farm. Give me a broken tractor and I could probably fix it with nothing more than a couple good wrenches and some duct tape."

"Remind me again why I have ever let you cook."

"You don't. That doesn't mean I won't try, though."

Nick chuckled to himself. "I understand that you want to try, but I don't know if I really believe in Gazelle's message of 'try everything.' Seems a little bit sketchy to me."

"What, you think it really means to literally try everything? I don't think that's what she meant."

"You sure about that, Carrots? Because I'm pretty sure I saw on the news that there are a ton of arrests at her concerts for possession of illicit substances," Nick said, crossing his arms to make a rather strong point that even Clawhauser couldn't argue against. But it made both of them wonder something very important regarding those concerts.

_Why won't Bogo assign me to a Gazelle concert?_

As Nick and Judy were about to continue their conversation, the DJ announced the first dance, the first one that they would share as a married couple. Nick quickly and smoothly slid out of his chair and offered a paw to his wife. She gratefully took it and he led her to the dance floor where they stood as close to each other as possible and spun slowly around the dance floor. Judy only made it to Nick's chest, so she had to look up into his eyes as they danced.

"So, this is what it's like to dance with the love of my life," Nick whispered.

Judy hmm'd and smiled at him. "Was it all worth it? Going through all of that trouble to get me to date you?"

Nick had wondered when she would ask that question. Of course, he didn't think they would be getting married so soon, but he was as certain of the answer as he could be.

"Absolutely."

Judy pressed her face into Nick's chest if only to be that much closer to him. It was all she wanted and all she could have hoped for.

Eventually, the music changed from a slow song to something a lot more fast-paced, which instantly got Judy moving to the beat. She kept looking at him with those beautiful violet eyes, drawing him closer and closer until he was dancing just as crazily as she was. The rest of the crowd came onto the dance floor and began having the greatest time of their lives.

For Nick, it probably would be.

* * *

Nick woke up in a land of confusion with a massive headache. Next to him was his wife, and it felt a bit weird to think that, but he knew it was right. She was still fast asleep, the bed sheets raising and lowering with her rapid breathing. He sat up in bed, trying to remember what all happened the night before. He remembered the first and second slow dances, and he vaguely remembered having a few to drink. Well, maybe it was more than a few.

He didn't want to think about how Judy was feeling, and he figured it was better to let her sleep for now. He got out of bed and walked over to his bag, pulling out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, perfect 'waking up with a hangover' clothes. Opening the door, he took a deep breath through his nose, and he caught a whiff of freshly brewed coffee.

 _Damn, that smells good..._  he thought. He followed the scent all the way to the kitchen, where Bonnie and Stu were sitting at the table.

"Well, good morning Mr. Drink-till-you-drop. Have a good night's rest?" Bonnie asked. "Help yourself to some coffee. It looks like you could use some."

"Thank's… I guess. What happened last night?" he asked, rubbing his forehead and hoping that they would tell him the truth.

"Oh, you just had a lot too much to drink. You could barely walk by the time the party was over at about one in the morning. I had to help you to bed!" Stu said with a chuckle. Nick slapped a paw over his eyes. He was really embarrassed now.

"But you weren't as bad as Judy, though. She was passed out by 11:30. We brought her in after she fell over on the dance floor. Then she came to about fifteen minutes later and was outside and back for more, but we cut her off." Nick couldn't help but start giggling like a little child, but once he saw the way Bonnie and Stu were looking at him, he quickly stopped.

"Oh, if you think that's funny, wait until you look at your phone."

Nick cringed and reluctantly pulled his phone out of his pocket, which showed he had a few messages from a strange number. He opened them up to see pictures of him and Roseline, getting a little too close for sober-Nick's comfort. He scrolled through the pictures until he got to one where Roseline had kissed Nick, right on the muzzle. His eyes in real life matched the ones on his face in the picture: absolute shock.

"Oh dear Lord…" Nick said, resting his face on a fanned out paw, covering half of his face, leaving space for his eyes to still see the picture. "Judy cannot see this…" Nick said worriedly.

"Don't worry, Nick. She already has. Judy pulled Rose off and slapped her right in the face, and so began the most hilarious fight between drunk rabbit sisters you'd ever see," Stu said, still reading his paper. Nick pulled up a message from Finnick, which had a video attached.

 _Please don't be what I think this is…_  Nick thought. He hesitantly tapped on the video and his worst nightmare appeared right in front of his eyes. Finnick had videoed the entire fight from the kiss to the slap, and finally the end when Margaret pulled them apart.

"What… the…" Nick said, his voice showing signs of extreme discomfort. He heard footsteps from behind him, and he turned around to see Judy walking into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes.

"What… the hell... happened? Why does my right paw hurt so much?" she slurred, apparently still feeling the effects of her drinking spree.

"I think I have the answer right here," Nick said, holding up his phone. Judy looked at the video, seeing Nick and Roseline taking pictures with each other, then she grabbed him and kissed him. That's when Judy came onto the screen and pulled Roseline away from Nick and slapped her so hard she fell to the ground, then Judy jumped on her and fists flew until Margaret broke them up. Nick gave Judy a judging glare.

"What? She deserved it. I'm a police officer, I live for justice."

"I'll find a way to get this spread around the ZPD, don't you worry," Nick threatened jokingly. It may have been just to mess with her, but he was actually serious about getting it spread to the ZPD. He figured Clawhauser would have a fun time doing that for him.

"Don't you dare, Nicholas Wilde, or so help me I will…" she said but was cut off by a wolf walking into the kitchen.

"What is up my dudes? Was that not the best time of your lives?" Faxon said.

"It would be if I could remember it," Nick said. He got a bright idea, but Judy would not like it one bit. "Hey buddy, come here, I want to show you something," Nick said with a sly grin. Judy jumped to her feet and grabbed Nick's phone before he could show him.

"I don't think so, Slick Nick. You are not going to be showing anyone that."

"C'mon, give the phone here. I don't want any trouble. Just set it down and we can take care of this in a civil manner." Judy reluctantly set the phone on the table and slid it over to Nick. He grabbed it and tapped away on the phone, and then Faxon's phone buzzed. He tapped on the screen and looked at it for a few moments before laughing uncontrollably.

"Holy smokes, Judy! You smacked the hell out of your sister!" he said in between laughing fits.

"Howlson, I swear to God if you spread that around the department I will bring upon you a thousand years of pain and suffering to you and your children and your children's children," she said.

"Don't worry, I'll keep this only for myself… and Ewetube."

"You better not!" Judy scolded.

"You have Finnick to thank for the video. Oh, and I have pictures from Roseline, but you don't get to see those." Judy glared at him with a look that could go through a brick wall.

"Nick. Delete those photos… now." she said sternly.

"Sorry, Judy, but these are memories. Plus I still need to bug your sister about this," Nick said. "Have some coffee you two. You both sound like you need it." Nick poured two mugs of coffee and handed one to Judy and Faxon, who both took small sips of the dark, black liquid.

"Where's Finnick?" Judy asked.

"I think he's out in the pole barn still," Bonnie said. Judy nearly spat out her coffee.

"Why would you leave him out there? It's really cold outside!" she exclaimed.

"Nobody wanted to move him. Every time we tried to wake him up he woke up for a second, swiped at us and then went right back to sleep. But that was right as the party ended," Bonnie said. "It's not like we didn't try."

"I wouldn't worry too much. If I know him at all he would've been more comfortable out there than in a spare room," Nick said. "Well, I'm going to start packing up. Our train leaves in a few hours, and I want to have everything ready." Nick stood up, but as he took his first step, his knees buckled and he fell to the ground, hitting his head hard, spilling his coffee and shattering the mug. He let out a yelp when his head hit the ground.

"Oh, Nick! What happened? Are you alright?" Judy said as she ran to him, helping him to his feet.

"I don't know. My legs just kinda gave out," Nick said, rubbing his head. He looked at Bonnie and Stu, who both stood up and looked at the scene. "I'm so sorry about the mug," Nick said, a little embarrassed.

"Don't worry about that. We've got plenty more," Bonnie said. Judy had helped Nick up from the floor and was now making sure that he was able to walk. After he took a few steps on his own, Judy let him go and he continued walking down the hall, out of sight. He walked over to Judy's room, and walked in the door, finding his dress blues scattered all around the room. He gathered the articles of clothing up, being sure that he had every piece.

Nick grabbed a fresh set of clothes from his bag and walked down the hall to one of the many bathrooms in the house. Finding it empty, Nick walked in and shut the door behind him, making sure to lock it. He stripped down and jumped into the shower, relief coming over him like a nice warm blanket when the hot, steamy water fell onto his body.

He stood in the cascade of water for a few minutes, soaking and letting it wash away the last remnants of last night. He lathered up all over himself, then once again let the water fall onto his body. He shut the water off and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around himself and dried his russet fur as well as he could. He slid on his pants and tropical shirt, then wiped away the condensation from the mirror.

He brushed the fur on top of his head so that it wasn't all messy and then he caught a whiff of his own breath. Cringing at the smell of various alcoholic drinks and who-knows-what-else, he quickly ran back to the room, grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste and began scrubbing in circular motions.

A couple minutes later, he spat out the foam and rinsed his mouth with water. It felt good to no longer feel like a ball of grease, and he was sure that everyone else would agree. He hung up the towel that lay on the floor and he picked up his morning clothes. He walked back down to the room and he walked in, threw his clothes into his bag and zipped it up, ready to go.

They still had a while before they had to leave, but it was always good to be prepared ahead of time. He didn't know what it was, but he felt exhausted.  _Probably from last night…_  Nick thought, reassuring himself that it was nothing more than repercussions from the reception. Judy opened the door and grabbed a set of clothes, seemingly on her way to the shower.

"You got ready quickly," she said.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with being prepared, it there?" he replied.

"I guess not. Oh, there's egg-bake out in the kitchen if you want any. And Finnick is gone apparently. We looked in the pole barn but there was nobody out there." Judy said.

"Huh, I'll give him a call really quick," Nick said. He tapped Finnick's number into his phone and put it up to his ear. It rang for a while, but he received no answer. Nick lowered the phone and shrugged. Judy walked out of the room and down the hall. He felt his stomach rumble and thought it best to get some food in him. He walked back to the kitchen, finding Faxon still out there, chomping down on a plate of egg-bake. Nick grabbed his own place and scooped up some of the egg-bake. He walked over to where Faxon was sitting and took a seat next to him.

"Feel any better?" Fax said.

"I'm much better now. I don't know what happened. I just fell," Nick replied.

"That's good. Now I've been meaning to talk to you about something. Chief told me that you resigned your post last week," he said. Judy's parents' ears moved up at the same time and they both looked over at Nick.

"What? You resigned?" Bonnie said. Nick exhaled deeply before continuing.

"Yeah. I did. Judy and I both thought it was for the best. We wouldn't be allowed to be partners after the wedding anyways, plus I don't really know how much longer I'll be able to work. Tomorrow I'm going to make it final, sign all the necessary papers, then I'll officially be a 'retired officer'." Nick said. "But don't worry. Judy has already been assigned a new partner."

"Well, Nick, all I can say is that the department isn't going to be the same without you. You were one hell of a cop." Fax said.

"Thank's dude. I've been thinking that it was a mistake, but for the long-run, it's the best option. I wish there was another way, but there isn't," Nick said. Bonnie and Stu both looked concerned.

"Well, I guess it's your choice. Whatever you think will be the best," Stu said.

"It certainly wasn't an easy decision to make, and Judy wasn't on board from the beginning either. She was pretty upset when she found out that I did it," Nick said. Faxon looked at his phone after it buzzed.

"Well buddy, it was great to be a part of this whole operation, but my friend is here to pick me up. I'm sure I'll see you around," Fax said. They both stood up and Nick took a firm grasp of his paw and shook it.

"I sure hope we can still stay in touch," Nick said.

"I'll make sure of it, see ya dude," Fax said, walking out the front door and into a car which had pulled up to the entrance. After Faxon left, there was only silence in the house. Breaking the silence was another rabbit walking into the kitchen, rubbing her head and the side of her face, which was quite swollen.

"Can I get an explanation as to why my face feels like it got hit by a bus?" Roseline said. Nick smiled as he held up his phone.

"Who gave you my number?" Nick asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Nick motioned for her to come over. She walked over to Nick and he showed her the photos. He scrolled over to the one where she kissed him and she started freaking out.

"Oh my God, how did I let myself do that? I'm so sorry Nick!" she said. Nick chuckled at her concern.

"Don't worry. We were all pretty messed up last night." Nick said.

"Wait, but that still doesn't explain the extreme pain in my face," she said.

"Oh, but this will…" Nick said, eagerly awaiting her reaction to the video. Roseline watched the video and her eyes grew big when she saw herself kiss Nick, then her paws shot up to her face when the fight started.

"Geez… I might have deserved that. Just don't let this get to my husband…" she said, ears red with embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it. Like I said, we all had way too much to drink last night. I'm not surprised something like that happened," Nick chuckled. Roseline grabbed the pot of coffee and poured herself a cup.

"Where's Judy?" she asked.

"She's in the shower. We're gonna get going in a few hours, so we've been packing up everything. Time to get back to real life, I guess." Judy walked into the kitchen and upon seeing her sister, she started laughing.

"What's so funny, sis?" Roseline said.

"Your face. That's what's funny!" Judy said. Roseline gave her a dirty look.

"Hey, you hit harder than you think. I saw the video from Nick's little friend."

"Speaking of Finnick, you don't happen to know where he is, do you?" Judy said.

"I'm pretty sure he left at like three in the morning. He had someone come pick him up that lives around here. I dunno, but the car had local plates." she said. Nick shrugged his shoulders.

"Typical Finnick," he said. A long silence followed Nick's words until Judy spoke.

"Do you guys want to move this out into the living room?" she asked. There was a unanimous nod from the group and everyone got up out of their seats and they followed Judy into the living room, where they all took seats in comfy recliners or on the large sofa. They sat and talked about the previous night, which caused Nick and Judy to lose track of time.

"Holy smokes. It's time for us to go," Judy said. Nick looked at his phone and confirmed that it was in fact time for them to leave for the train station. Nick and Judy both got up and quickly ran to their room to grab their things. They ran back to the living room, seeing Judy's parents and Roseline standing waiting to say their goodbyes. Judy went up to Roseline and gave her a hug and whispered something in her ear.

"He's mine. You can't have him," she said, teasing her sister. Roseline's ears turned red once more in embarrassment. Nick walked up to Roseline and also gave her a hug. Judy's parents were waiting at the door to take them to the train station.

"Ready to go, kiddos?" Stu said.

"I think so. I've got everything and so does Nick." Nick nodded and they all walked out the door.

At the train station, Nick and Judy only waited for a few minutes before the train showed up. Nick was eager to get back home, but he really enjoyed visiting Bunnyburrow. Nick let out a big yawn, suddenly feeling extra tired. It was probably a good thing that they were about to take a long train ride, that way he could sleep the whole way home.

Judy hugged both of her parents and kissed their cheeks. Nick walked forward, about to extend a paw to both of them, but before he could do that Bonnie went straight for a hug. It took Nick by surprise at first, but after only a split second he returned the hug. Stu extended his paw and Nick gave it a firm shake.

"Be sure to visit anytime," Bonnie said.

"I'll make sure we do," Nick replied. They both waved their goodbyes and they walked onto the train. And so began their journey back home.

* * *

The next morning was a strange one for Judy. She woke up on her own accord, not relying on Nick to wake her up. She took a shower like normal and brushed her fur like normal. She even brushed her teeth like normal, but she only made coffee for one. Nick was still in bed sleeping by the time she was ready to go to work.

Her entire commute was so quiet, and she listened intently to the sounds of the waking city. She heard the sounds of cars going by on the road, she vaguely heard conversations whilst on the subway, and she heard her own heartbeat walking up the stairs to the front door of the ZPD. She opened the door for herself and upon entering, was greeted by Clawhauser, who was sitting in his usual position.

"Judy! I'm sorry I couldn't make it this weekend. He only allowed a few to be gone on Saturday and I couldn't get the time off," he said.

"It's fine. I'm sure you would have had a lot of fun. I know my sister did," Judy said, the last part quite irritably.

"Oh, well… have a good rest of your day!" he said, a little confused at her attitude.

"Yep, you too!" Judy said as she hopped her way to the Bullpen, where she would begin the first of hopefully many shifts with Jessie.

* * *

Nick woke up with a start, breathing heavily and his heart was racing. He hadn't had a bad dream, more like an unpleasant dream, and he felt on edge because of it. He grabbed his phone and looked at the time, 10:33. He had slept a long time.

He could probably get used to being able to sleep in all the time because he felt like he had gotten the best sleep of his life. Nick hopped out of bed, feeling like he could do anything, but he quickly felt out of breath and fell back onto the bed. He felt light-headed and he thought it best to just take it easy since he had just woken up.

Nick stood up slowly and then walked into the bathroom, taking care of his morning routine. He exited the bathroom with only a towel on and he walked across the hallway into the bedroom, where he changed into ordinary civilian clothes. It felt strange to him that he was waking up and not getting ready to go to work. He looked at himself one more time in the mirror, a slight frown appearing on his muzzle. He left the apartment and went onward towards the ZPD.

Walking up to the front door of the ZPD for likely the last time, Nick opened the door, seeing lots of familiar faces. Clawhauser was busy talking to some other mammals, so he didn't see Nick. He thought it was best to just walk up to Bogo's office and knock on the door. Nick walked up the stairs and down the hall, seeing Chief Bogo standing outside his office, speaking with another mammal. Bogo looked up and saw Nick, and he quickly dismissed the mammal, motioning for Nick to come into his office. Nick walked in the door and seated himself in one of the few chairs in front of the desk.

"Before you sign the papers, I need to get a formality out of the way." Bogo extended a hoof to Nick. "It's been a pleasure seeing you serve this city, Officer Wilde." Nick took the large hoof and gave it a firm shake.

"It has been an honor, sir."

"Now, getting down to business, there is only one thing I need from you, and that is your signature. Sign right on that line at the bottom, and then you are officially no longer employed with the ZPD." Bogo said, holding a pen out to Nick. He took the pen from Bogo and looked at the single piece of paper in front of him. At the bottom was a long thin line, which was where Nick was supposed to sign. Nick moved his paw over to that line and scribbled on that line.

"Well, Wilde. It truly was an honor to have you on the force," Bogo said. Nick still sat, looking at the paper.

"It was a pleasure while it lasted…" Nick said with a slight frown. "I guess I'll be leaving then." Nick stood up and slowly walked out of Bogo's office, shutting the door behind him. Bogo watched him as he walked out of the office. After he shut the door, Bogo sat down in his chair and put his hooves over his face and sighed.

Nick walked down the hallway slowly, keeping his head down. He really was no longer Officer Wilde. He was just Nick Wilde, unemployed. The thought ran through his head over and over again as he walked back down the stairs. Clawhauser noticed him as he walked by his desk.

Well, well, well. Officer Wilde decided to show up after all," he joked, not realizing the reason that Nick was there for. Nick didn't even look up. He just shook a finger at him.

"No, no. I'm just Nick now. I'm not an officer anymore." Clawhauser looked confused and watched Nick walk out the doors of the ZPD for the last time.

Nick opened the door to the apartment and walked inside, still looking at the ground. It was done. He really wasn't a police officer anymore. The thought kept racing through his head, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't seem to think about anything else.

He sat down on the couch, and right as he laid back, he felt weird things move in his chest. A paw moved over his heart, feeling irregular beats and terrible thoughts came into his mind.

 _Please don't do this to me now..._  he thought as he reached for his phone. He typed in the numbers 9-1-1 into the phone and pressed send. The world around him grew fuzzy as he heard a voice on the other end.

"911, what's your emergency?" the female voice said. Nick stood up, and as he got to his feet, he said one raspy and quiet word.

"Help…"

And he fell to the ground.


End file.
